HOAX EMAILS...
Over the years there has been various misinformation shared on social media claiming that illegal immigrants receive huge sums of money compared to pensioners in this country. This could not be further from the truth.
People who have entered the UK illegally and have no right to be in the country may not claim public funds. People who are claiming asylum, if eligible, may get a place to live – unlikely to be in London or the South East – and £40.85 per week. If they have children or are pregnant, they may claim between £3 and £5 extra per week. They are typically not permitted to work. Those who have successfully applied for asylum and been granted refugee status may apply for benefits.
Pensioners are entitled to a number of benefits. From April 2022, pensioners receiving the full rate of the new State Pension have received an increase of 3.1% and the basic State Pension has also increased by 3.1%. The full new State Pension (NSP) is £185.15 per week, which totals around £9,627 per year. This is not, however, the maximum amount that a pensioner in the UK may receive: all employers must now offer a workplace pension scheme and automatically enrol eligible workers in it. The amount that a person of State Pension age receives from the NSP depends on how many ‘qualifying’ years of National Insurance payments they have. They will need 35 qualifying years to receive the full NSP amount if they do not have a National Insurance record before 6 April 2016. This does not include Pension Credit, which could add up to £14,492 per year for a couple in a year. Pension Credit is a means-tested benefit for low-income pensioners that brings their weekly income up to a minimum amount. Pension Credit can also help with housing costs. Those in receipt of Pension Credit are eligible for a £650 Cost-of-Living Payment – made in two instalments of £326 and £324. Pensioners can apply online: https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit
Additional pensioner benefits include Winter Fuel Payments, free bus passes, and free prescriptions. Cold Weather Payments are also available, and the Warm Home Discount is payable to pensioners in receipt of pension credit guarantee credit and provides a £140 rebate on their energy bills