Pensioners who do not receive a state pension or other qualifying benefits from the Isle of Man Government and veterans in receipt of a War Pensions Mobility Supplement are reminded to apply for an additional cost of living support.
Announced in January, a Long Term Benefits Support Payment of £300 will be paid this month to those who receive a state pension or certain other benefits from the Isle of Man Government.
This round of support, in response to the extraordinary rise in the cost of living, is specifically targeted to help those who did not receive an Energy Support Payment from the Government in December.
Persons living at home and in receipt of an Isle of Man state pension or persons receiving certain other benefits such as Disability Living Allowance, Attendance Allowance, Carer’s Allowance or long term Incapacity Benefit will automatically receive the payment if they did not receive an Energy Support Payment in December.
The following groups are also eligible for the Long Term Benefits Support Payment, provided they didn’t receive an Energy Support Payment in December, but need to apply for it before Monday 3 April 2023:
- Those who reached state pension age after April 2016 and have only ever worked and paid National Insurance in another country – including the UK -and are not entitled to a state pension from the Isle of Man Government
- Those who reached state pension age before April 2016 and who have recently moved to the island and still receive their state pension from the UK Government
- Those who have never worked or paid National Insurance contributions so have no entitlement to state pension
- Those who became eligible for a state Retirement Pension before April 2016 who opted to defer payment of their pension
Application forms are available by getting in touch with Social Security by either calling +44 1624 685098 or emailing socialsecurity@gov.im
Sarah Maltby MHK, Member of Treasury with responsibility for Social Security, said:
‘Treasury announced this additional £5.6m of support last month to specifically target those who may not have received the other support payments. The Social Security team are aware of those who receive long-term benefits or the Isle of Man state pension from the Isle of Man Government and will be paying a Long Term Benefits Support Payment to them automatically. However pensioners who receive their pension from another country or have no entitlement to one are not known to Government.
‘If you are included in the eligibility criteria above or you know of any family members who may not be aware, then please get in touch with the team to ensure access to this extra financial help.’
Since the beginning of 2022, Government has committed to a programme of additional support totalling £17.6 million in response to the rising cost of living.