Pension Credit is separate from your State Pension, and you may still be able to claim it even if you have another income, savings or are claiming another pension.

Who is eligible for Pension Credit?

To claim Pension Credit you must have reached State Pension age and live in England, Scotland or Wales. Even if you’re still working, you may be able to claim Pension Credit to top up your income if you’re over State Pension age.

You can apply for Pension Credit up to four months before you reach State Pension age, and any time after. It’s worth bearing in mind that if you are eligible for Pension Credit it can only be backdated by up to three months.

Your State Pension age will depend on when you were born. Use the Gov.uk website to check your State Pension age.

Applying for Pension Credit

As part of your application for Pension Credit the government will consider your income. If you have a partner, their income will also be included.

Income includes:        

• Any other pensions you have, including pensions you have not claimed yet
• Your State Pension
• Your earnings from employment or self-employment
• Most social security benefits
  

The government will also consider your savings and investments.

Using this information, the government will then calculate the amount of Pension Credit you will be able to get.

To find out if you may be able to claim Pension Credit and for more guidance on how to apply, visit Gov.uk.

How Pension Credit works

Pension Credit tops up your income to £182.60 a week if you are single. Or if you have a partner, Pension Credit will increase your combined weekly income to £278.70.*

If you’re eligible for Pension Credit, it could help you with day-to-day living costs such as Council Tax, housing costs, NHS Services and heating bills. If you’re over 75, you could be entitled to a free TV license with Pension Credit, so it’s worthwhile looking into.

Even if you have savings or receive another pension, you may be entitled to Savings Credit. To claim Savings Credit, you must have reached State Pension Age before 6^th April 2016, and have saved some money for when you stop working, such as a pension. If you’re eligible, you will get up to £14.48 Savings Credit a week if you’re single, and if you have a partner, you’ll get up to £16.20 a week.* 

If you want to find out how much Pension Credit you could get you can use the Pension Credit Calculator.

*Figures are correct as of August 2022 but may change. To check the latest figures, visit Pension Credit: Eligibility - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) or Pension Credit: What you'll get - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)