Age Concern Dorchester - Information & Advice
Our Information & Advice section includes a selection of topics, some which we think you will find useful and some based on questions we have been asked before placed here for your benefit. We can provide information and give advice on the subjects introduced here. Select from the articles below or the menu on the left under the Information and Advice link.
We also have an Information and Advice telephone line you can call. Please call 01305 269444 and we shall see if we can help.
Pension Credit - What is Pension Credit?
Pension Credit provides older people with a minimum level of income and gives extra cash to people with modest incomes who have made savings for their retirement. Pension Credit has two parts: the ‘guarantee credit’ and the ‘savings credit’. Some people will get both the guarantee and the savings parts while others will receive either one or the other. Both parts are based on people’s income and other circumstances.
Pension Credit - What about the savings credit?
The savings credit is available to people who have reached the age of 65. The maximum amount is £20.52 a week for a single person and £27.09 for a couple.
- You could be entitled to some savings credit if you: are single and your income is more than £98.40 but less than around £181.00 a week or
- are one of a couple and your joint income is more than £157.25 but less than around £266.00 a week.
- if you are disabled, a carer, or a homeowner with certain housing costs you may still get some savings credit even if your income is above these levels.
Brief information is given here about calculating the savings credit - it aims to give you an idea of the calculation but does not cover all circumstances. The savings credit is based on what is called ‘qualifying income’ which includes the main types of income that pensioners have.
Pension Credit - How does the guarantee credit work?
The guarantee credit is available to people aged 60 or over. It tops up someone’s income to a set level. The guarantee credit is set at standard amounts; from April 2010 it is £132.60 a week for a single person and £202.40 for a couple. The amounts are higher for some disabled people, carers and homeowners with certain housing costs.
Digital switchover - Why the change?
Some benefits to going digital are that as well as getting the five main channels, BBC1, BBC2, ITV1, Channels 4 and 5 a lot more channels will be available to you;
- The quality of your TV picture should be improved;
- You can listen to digital radio stations through your television;
- Some digital sets will offer more special services for people with hearing and visual impairments. As well as subtitles and teletext, there may also be audio description service for people who have difficulties seeing the screen;
- New features will include on-screen TV listings, widescreen pictures and inter-active red button.
