A mystery pensioner has hit the jackpot after realising he was entitled to years’ worth of cash he’d left unclaimed.
The Wakefield man, who is in his 80s, is to be paid £140,000 by the Department of Work and Pensions.
The local council said the man had continued to work long after reaching the age of retirement.
But as a result, he mistakenly thought he was not allowed to claim a state pension and so the cash he was owed went unpaid for more than a decade.
The error only came to light after the council made enquiries on his behalf.
An approach was made to interview the man, but this was declined and he asked Wakefield Council to keep his identity and where he lives a secret.
But in a report, Councillor Michael Graham said: “To help our residents get more money in their pocket we are using information we hold to identify if they are entitled to more benefits and allowances than they are getting; one particular resident, an elderly gentleman in his 80s, who was in credit with his council tax but wasn’t claiming the correct benefits.
“The gentleman is still working and didn’t want to stop but didn’t realise he could claim his state retirement pension and continue to work.
“We contacted the pension service, who looked into it and told the gentleman that he was due a backdated lump sum of £140,000 as well as an extra £185 a week.”
-- to www.examinerlive.co.uk
