It has been subject to a number of changes over its existence, but has the core aim of lifting retired people of limited means out of poverty.
Consequently, the Coalition government proposed replacing this complex system with a single flat-rate pension of about £170 per week.
However, for pensioners in particular, the Council Tax rate must be set to zero if they are in receipt of Guarantee Credit, maintaining the same level of support.
However, the Coalition government proposed to change this rule in a substantial manner by abolishing Housing Benefit.
The Qualification criteria are relatively simple – the applicant, and/or their partner must be in receipt of: The rules are complex and there are exceptions; for example, no-one in the household must be claiming Carer's allowance for looking after the disabled individual (otherwise they would be being paid twice for the same thing).
The government encourages people interested in claiming this element to contact the Pension, Disability and Carers Service via Gov.uk, or an agency with expertise in benefits, such as the Citizens Advice Bureau, or a respected charity like Age UK.