AN Enniskillen councillor has said up to 3,000 people in Fermanagh alone could be entitled to pension credits.

Eddie Roofe has urged the county’s residents to check to see if they or a loved one are eligible.

The Alliance Party representative stated that with the UK Government doing away with winter fuel payments, pension credits could prove crucial in redressing the balance and urged people to check to see if they are missing out.

He said: “I’m trying to raise awareness about the number of people in Fermanagh and Tyrone who are eligible for pension credits that they haven’t claimed.

“There are probably as many as two or three thousand people in Fermanagh alone that are eligible and not claimed for it.

“Since the winter fuel payments have been cut, you are still entitled to those payments with pension credits.

“So there are a number of people – who generally tend to be the most vulnerable in society – for those credits. And there’s lots of other benefits too such as housing benefits if they rent a property or there could be relief for mortgages as well as being entitled to free dental care.

“There’s a lot of advantages to signing up for pension credits. I’m asking people, and sending letters through as many houses as I can get round, to just check.

“If it’s not you, then it’s a loved one or an elderly neighbour who could be eligible. It’s worth just checking. There’s a pension credit calculator on the government’s website to enable people to check to see if they’re entitled to it.

“Once you’ve done it, that’s you and it will kind of tick over from that point. It’s certainly worth doing and could help people over winter.”

For more information on the pension credit calculator, log on to https://tinyurl.com/4jpj46th