Top eight pensioner perks worth £16k to claim NOW – save £100s on supermarket shops & £300 off your heating bill

YOU could be missing out on perks worth a huge £16k a year in retirement. Pensioners receive an array of perks to help them out, which can be a lifeline for many as the cost of retirement rises but they can’t boost their income. The latest research from Pensions UK suggests a single person needs £45,400 a year to live a comfortable retirement, while a couple needs £62,700. From discounted travel to extra benefits, make sure you’re not missing out on valuable perks worth a whopping £16k. Sign up for the Money newsletter Thank you! Here are all the ones you should be aware of… 1. Cheap days out – £42 You could get 25% off membership for the National Trust if you’re over 60 Credit: Getty Pensioners can get discounts at a range of museums, galleries and other attractions. For example, the National Trust offers 25% off membership for over-60s who have been members for at least three years. That means you’ll pay £75.60 for a yearly membership instead of £100.80. English Heritage also offers over-65s membership for £6 a month or £72 a year, compared with £7 a month or £84 a year for standard membership. The Imperial War Museums offer tickets for £26.80 for over-65s, while it’s £29.75 for younger adults. Most read in Money Over-60s can also get an annual pass to the London Transport Museum for £21.87, compared with £23.62 for other adults. If you used all of these perks, you’d save about £42 a year. 2. Pension Credit – up to £10,000 Pension Credit could boost your income to up to £18,889 per year Credit: Alamy Pension Credit is a benefit available to pensioners on a low income. It tops up your income to £238 a week for a single person and £363.25 for a couple. That’s the equivalent of £12,376 a year for a single person or £18,889 a year for a couple. It might not be a huge amount but it can help you get extra support too. Kevin Mountford, personal finance expert and co-founder of Raisin UK, says: “The real value is that qualifying can also open the door to other support, including Council Tax Reduction, Housing Benefit for renters, help with heating costs and, a free TV licence for those aged 75 or over. “That is why dismissing Pension Credit because you think the weekly top-up might be small can be a mistake. The wider package of support could be worth hundreds, and in some cases thousands, of pounds over the year.” Rebecca Lamb, external relations manager at Money Wellness, estimates this could easily be worth £10,000 a year per person if you qualify for the full range of discounts. 3. NHS freebies – £170 NHS prescriptions are free once you hit 60, potentially saving you £120 a year or more Credit: Getty – Contributor You can get free medical prescriptions once you hit 60. These usually cost £9.90 per item, so if you needed one prescription per month you’d save almost £120 a year. According to AgeUK over-75s will be on an average of five prescribed items a month, so it could be a significant saving. Over-60s can also get free eye tests, which often start from around £25. You will usually need to fill out a form for your optician so you stop being charged. The annual flu jab, which usually costs around £22 at Boots, is also free once you hit 65. If you receive Pension Credit, you may be entitled to even more freebies. Pensioners who receive the “guarantee credit” part, which is when your income is topped up to a guaranteed minimum level, can get free NHS dental treatment. This could save around £27.50 every time you go for a scaling, according to the NHS. You may also be able to get help with travel costs if you need to go to hospital for NHS treatment or diagnostic tests. To arrange this, you’ll need to tell the hospital you want to claim back the cost of your journey. 4. Travel discounts – up to £4,600 Some pensioners can get the London Freedom Pass for free public transport Credit: Alamy Pensioners aged 60 or over might be able to get discounts on public transport. If you live in England, you can get a bus pass for free local travel when you reach state pension age – which is currently rising from 66 to 67. People living in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland can get a free bus pass from 60. Londoners aged between 60 and state pension age can get free travel on buses and trains around the capital with a 60+ Oyster photocard. The pass costs £36 for the first year, but then falls to £18 a year as long as you prove you still live in a London borough. Once you hit state pension age, this will expire but you can apply for a London Freedom Pass instead which also gives you free public transport. It’s completely free to apply for a pass and you can get it as long as you live in London. It’s estimated it could save you up to £4,600 a year, depending on how frequently you travel and your mode of transport. TfL’s Adult Annual Travelcard costs up to £4,600 a year if you include Zones 1-9 with outer rail links, If you’re travelling by train, you can also get a Senior Railcard which saves you a third on most rail journeys – or an average of £114 a year. It costs £35 for the year or £80 for three years. National Express offers Senior Coachcards for £30 and they give you a third off the cost of your coach travel for a year. 5. Discounted cinema tickets – £150 Some cinema chains offer cheaper tickets to pensioners Credit: Michael Blann You might be able to get a discount on your next cinema trip. Odeon offers Odeon Silvers tickets to over-60s who want to watch films during quieter times. Tickets start from £2 and include tea, coffee and biscuits served before the film starts. Standard tickets usually cost between £5.99 to £14.49, meaning if you went once a month you could save up to £150 a year. Cineworld has CineSeniors which offers tickets for £4.50 with complimentary hot drinks and biscuits. 6. Supermarket discounts – £390 Get 10% off your weekly food shop every Tuesday at Iceland – there’s no minimum spend Credit: Getty Some supermarkets have discounts specifically for seniors. For example, Iceland gives over-60s a discount of 10% off their shop every Tuesday with no minimum spend. If you had a weekly shop worth £75, that means you’d pay £67.50. Over a year, that would save you £390. In Asda, you can get a soup and bread roll for only £1 every Wednesday if you’re aged 60 or over. 7. Winter Fuel Payment – up to £300 You can get help with your heating bills through the Winter Fuel Payment scheme You could get hundreds of pounds off your heating bills this winter if you have a lower income. The Winter Fuel Payment is paid out to those born before June 27, 1960 who earn under £35,000. Your partner’s income does not count towards the total. You’ll usually receive the payment automatically if you’re eligible for it, and it should arrive in November or December. You will get between £100 to £300, and letter should come to your home confirming the amount. Check the Government website if you think you might need to make a claim. 8. Discounted football matches – £550 You can get a Chelsea season ticket much cheaper if you’re over 66 Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Some football clubs offer discounted season ticket rates for older fans. Chelsea’s season ticket costs up to £545 this year for people aged 66 or over. That’s compared with £1,095 for younger adults – a saving of £550. If you’re a Brentford FC fan, you can get a season ticket for upwards of £355 if you’re over 65. That’s £165 cheaper than a normal season ticket. Comment now