Pension Credit
Pension Credit raises the income of pensioners to a guaranteed minimum. Roughly four in ten eligible households do not claim it. The benefit itself is modest; the extras it unlocks are not.
On this page
The two parts of Pension Credit
Pension Credit has two separate components, and you can receive either or both.
Guarantee Credit
The main component. It tops your weekly income up to a guaranteed minimum, and it is available to anyone over State Pension age on a low income.
| Your circumstances | Guaranteed weekly minimum |
|---|---|
| Single | £238.00 |
| Couple | £363.25 |
Savings Credit
A smaller top-up for people who reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016 and who have some modest savings or additional income. It is not available to anyone reaching State Pension age after that date, so it is gradually disappearing.
| Your circumstances | Maximum weekly | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| Single | £17.96 | Income above £208.07 a week |
| Couple | £20.10 | Income above £329.75 a week |
Who qualifies
- You must have reached State Pension age. Unlike Universal Credit, there is no work requirement and no requirement to be looking for work.
- You (and your partner, if you have one) must live in Great Britain.
- Your weekly income must be below the guaranteed minimum — for Guarantee Credit.
- If you are in a couple, the assessment is joint. A couple cannot claim Pension Credit separately.
You may still qualify if you own your home, have savings, or have a private pension. Pension Credit is not a benefit of last resort. A modest private pension or a small amount of savings does not rule you out — it may simply reduce the top-up. The capital rules are also more generous than Universal Credit: savings below £10,000 are ignored, and above that a notional income of £1 a week is assumed for each £500.
What Pension Credit unlocks
For many pensioners, the value of Pension Credit lies less in the payment itself than in the other entitlements it opens. Claiming it is what matters as much as what it pays.
Winter Fuel Payment
Now means-tested and paid mainly to households on Pension Credit or certain other income-related benefits. For many pensioners, claiming Pension Credit is the only route to keeping this.
Free TV licence
Available to households where someone aged 75 or over receives Pension Credit. Worth around £170 a year.
Warm Home Discount
£150 off electricity bills for eligible low-income households, with Pension Credit as a core qualifying criterion.
Help with rent
Pensioners on Pension Credit can claim Housing Benefit rather than the UC housing element, and the calculation is often more generous.
Council Tax Reduction
Pension-age claimants are protected by national rules and often receive 100% relief — far more than working-age claimants on the same income.
NHS and travel costs
Help with dental treatment, glasses and some travel costs, plus a potential bus pass and other local concessions.
The arithmetic of claiming. Take a single pensioner with a State Pension of £221.20 a week and no other income. Their Guarantee Credit entitlement is £238.00 − £221.20 = £16.80 a week. Modest. But that £16.80 also brings the Winter Fuel Payment, the Warm Home Discount, and a free TV licence over 75 — a total package worth several hundred pounds a year more than the Pension Credit alone.
How to claim
- Claim by phone or onlineYou can apply online at gov.uk or by post, and there is a dedicated Pension Credit claim line. Claims by phone are processed fastest for most people.
- Have your figures readyYour National Insurance number, bank details, details of all income including State Pension and private pensions, savings and investments, and details of anyone who lives with you.
- BackdatingA claim can usually be backdated up to three months, provided you would have been entitled during that period. Ask for it — it is not given automatically.
- If you are refused, challenge itMandatory reconsideration within one month, then appeal to the First-tier Tribunal. Pension Credit decisions turn on the income calculation, and errors in the assumed income from savings are common.
Mixed-age couples. If you have a partner who has not reached State Pension age, you cannot usually claim Pension Credit as a couple, and the household must claim Universal Credit instead. If you are already receiving Pension Credit and your partner reaches pension age, the position can change. Take advice, because the household can end up substantially worse off.
Helping a pensioner claim?
We can check entitlement, complete the claim, and make sure the extras are secured alongside it.
Book a consultation — £50 Attendance Allowance may also apply