DWP warns state pensioners against paying for benefit claims

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 10 Oct, 08:48 · Archive

The Department for Work and Pensions is warning pensioners not to pay Claims Management Companies for help with benefit applications.

The Department for Work and Pensions is warning state pensioners against paying Claims Management Companies to help with benefit applications. Some organisations are demanding more than £1,000 to complete forms for Attendance Allowance or Home Responsibility Protection that could be submitted free of charge.

The DWP has cautioned that certain firms are taking advantage of elderly claimants by approaching pensioners and their relatives with offers to process applications in exchange for payment. According to government figures, around 1.8 million people across Great Britain currently receive Attendance Allowance, while an estimated 1.1 million eligible older people are not claiming the benefit they are entitled to.

The DWP emphasises that claiming these benefits should never cost anything. Free and reliable support is available through Citizens Advice and Independent Age, and submitting a claim directly is always completely free of charge. The department urges anyone who believes they may qualify for these benefits not to pay a firm to submit a claim on their behalf.

How it is being reported

• DWP state pension warning as payments 'getting further away' for peopleThe Department for Work and Pensions plans to raise the state pension ageHuddersfield Examiner · 10 Oct, 08:26
• DWP issues £1,000 warning to state pensioners over the age of 67The Department for Work and Pensions is urging state pensioners not to pay for help with claimsLeedsLive · 9 Oct, 09:54

In this story: Department for Work and Pensions · Citizens Advice · Independent Age · Great Britain

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem