State Pension age of 66 ends Universal Credit and other working-age benefits

Once you reach State Pension age, currently 66, you can no longer claim Universal Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance or income-related Employment and Support Allowance. That is according to a Turn2us guide highlighted by the Daily Mirror. Ministers have not announced a new cut. These are the current rules, and the Mirror reported that people nearing retirement are being urged to remember them before their birthday arrives.

The trade-off is the State Pension itself. According to Department for Work and Pensions figures reported by the Daily Record, it is paid to 13.2 million people across Great Britain. The Mirror said it is worth up to £241.30 a week on the new State Pension, for people who claimed after April 6, 2016, or £184.90 a week on the basic State Pension.

How much you get depends on your National Insurance record. GOV.UK says you need 10 qualifying years to get any new State Pension at all. Anyone who falls short could find their working-age help ends without a full pension to replace it.

Which payments stop at pension age

The Turn2us guide splits the losses into groups. The first is the means-tested group: income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, income-related ESA, Income Support and Universal Credit. These close when you reach State Pension age or Pension Credit qualifying age. The Mirror noted that the two ages are the same unless you are a man born before December 6, 1953.

The second group is contribution-based. Turn2us says Jobseeker's Allowance and contributory or New Style ESA also end at State Pension age. Bereavement Support Payment and Widowed Parent's Allowance are not available after that point either.

Disability benefits work differently. You cannot make a new claim for Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment or Adult Disability Payment once you reach State Pension age. Adult Disability Payment has replaced PIP in Scotland. If you were already getting one of these, Turn2us says you can renew it after pension age, but only for the same health conditions and only if your last claim ended less than 12 months before you reached State Pension age.

What you can still claim past pension age

Some help carries on whatever your income. According to Turn2us, you can still claim Child Benefit, which is paid by HMRC, as well as Guardian's Allowance and Statutory Sick Pay. Carer's Allowance is also still open to you. The guide warns that you may not get the full payment, depending on how much State Pension you receive.

A longer list depends on your income. It covers Pension Credit, Housing Benefit, Council Tax Support, Support for Mortgage Interest, Help with Health Costs, Cold Weather Payment in England and Wales, and Winter Heating Payment in Scotland. The Warm Home Discount Scheme, Winter Fuel Payment and Scotland's Pension Age Winter Heating Payment are on it too. GOV.UK says Pension Credit is separate from the State Pension and that you can get it even if you have other income or savings, or own your own home.

Couples where one partner is older than the other face the trickiest position. Turn2us said: "If you live with a partner and one of you is pension age and the other is not yet pension age, benefit entitlement can be complicated."

Key numbers

• 66: the current State Pension age, when the working-age benefits listed above stop.
• 67: the age at which people born between March 6, 1961 and April 5, 1977 can claim their State Pension.
• £241.30: the most the new State Pension pays each week, according to the Mirror.
• £184.90: the weekly basic State Pension, Category A or B.
• 13.2 million: the number of people in Great Britain getting the State Pension, according to DWP figures.
• 10 years: the minimum National Insurance record needed for any State Pension.
• 12 months: the window for renewing an earlier DLA, PIP or ADP award after pension age.

The pension age is already rising to 67

The Mirror reported that the State Pension age has started a gradual rise from 66 to 67. The Government has changed how the rise works, so people born between March 6, 1961 and April 5, 1977 will become entitled when they turn 67 rather than on a set date. The rise has been in law since 2014, and the Mirror said a further move from 67 to 68 is planned for the mid-2040s.

Nothing in this report changes anyone's entitlement today. GOV.UK points out that the State Pension age is reviewed regularly, so the date you are given now could change in future. That makes it worth checking again as you get closer to it.

What you can do now

Start by finding your exact date. You can check your State Pension forecast on GOV.UK to see when you can get it, how much you could get and whether you can fill gaps in your record. The service does not work if you are already getting your State Pension or have deferred it.

If you are on Universal Credit, ESA or Jobseeker's Allowance now, plan for the date those payments stop. Look at whether you could qualify for Pension Credit, which tops up low incomes over State Pension age. GOV.UK says it can also open the door to Housing Benefit, Cold Weather Payments and Support for Mortgage Interest.

If you live with a younger partner, or receive a disability benefit, get your position checked before your birthday. Turn2us suggests using its free benefits calculator or speaking to a benefits adviser, who can look at your household's income and savings together.

Your questions answered

Will my PIP stop when I reach State Pension age?

The Turn2us guide does not say an existing award ends. It says you cannot make a new claim for PIP, DLA or Adult Disability Payment once you reach State Pension age. If you had an award before, you can renew it for the same health conditions as long as your last claim ended less than 12 months before you reached pension age.

My partner is younger than me. Can we stay on Universal Credit?

Turn2us warns that benefit entitlement can be complicated when one partner is over pension age and the other is not. It has not set out a single rule for every case in this guide. It recommends a benefits calculator or a benefits adviser to work out what your household can get.

Can I still get Carer's Allowance once I draw my pension?

Yes. Turn2us lists Carer's Allowance among the benefits you can claim over State Pension age. It warns that you may not get the full payment, depending on how much income you get from your State Pension.