Pension Credit gives you extra money to help with your living costs if you’re over State Pension age and on a low income. Pension Credit can also help with housing costs such as ground rent or service charges.
You might get extra help if you’re a carer, severely disabled, or responsible for a child or young person.
Pension Credit is separate from your State Pension.
You must live in England, Scotland or Wales and have reached State Pension age to qualify for Pension Credit.
If you have a partner, you must include your partner on your application.
You’ll be eligible if either:
1. You and your partner have both reached State Pension age
2. One of you is getting Housing Benefit for people over State Pension age
A partner is either:
your husband, wife or civil partner – if you live with them, someone you live with as a couple, without being married or in a civil partnership
You can get Pension Credit even if you have other income, savings or own your own home.
Your income
When you apply for Pension Credit your income is calculated. If you have a partner, your income is calculated together.
Pension Credit tops up:
Your weekly income to £238 if you’re single
Your joint weekly income to £363.25 if you have a partner
If your income is higher, you might still be eligible for Pension Credit if you have a disability, you care for someone, you have savings or you have housing costs.
If you have a severe disability
You could get an extra £86.05 a week if you get any of the following:
1. Attendance Allowance
2. The middle or highest rate of the care component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
3. The daily living component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
4. Armed Forces Independence Payment
5. The daily living component of Adult Disability Payment
6. Pension Age Disability Payment
7. The middle or highest rate of the care component of Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance
If you care for another adult
You could get an extra £48.15 a week if:
1. You get Carer’s Allowance
2. You get Carer Support Payment
3. You’ve claimed Carer’s Allowance but are not being paid because you already get another benefit paying a higher amount
If you and your partner have both claimed or are getting Carer’s Allowance, you can both get this extra amount.
What counts as income
Your income includes:
1. State/Other Pensions
2. Earnings from employment and self-employment
3. Most social security benefits, for example Carer’s Allowance
What does not count as income
Not all benefits are counted as income. For example, the following are not counted:
1. Adult Disability Payment
2. Attendance Allowance
3. Child Benefit
4. Christmas Bonus
5. Council Tax Reduction
6. Disability Living Allowance
7. Housing Benefit
8. Pension Age Disability Payment
9. Personal Independence Payment
10. Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance
11. Social fund payments like Winter Fuel Payment
If you’ve deferred your pension/If you’re entitled to a personal or workplace pension and you have not claimed it yet, the amount you’d expect to get still counts as income.
You cannot build up extra amounts for deferring your State Pension if you or your partner are getting Pension Credit.
Your savings and investments
If you have £10,000 or less in savings and investments this will not affect your Pension Credit.
If you have more than £10,000, every £500 over £10,000 counts as £1 income a week. For example, if you have £11,000 in savings, this counts as £2 income a week.
If you get Pension Credit you can also get other help, such as:
Housing Benefit if you rent the property you live in
Cols Weather Payments (or Winter Heating Payments in Scotland)
Support for mortgage interest if you own the property you live in
a Council Tax Reduction
a Free Tv Licence if you’re aged 75 or over
help with NHS costs (dental, glasses and transport to hospital appointments), if you get the Guarantee Credit part of Pension Credit
help with your heating costs through the Warm Home Discount Scheme
a discount on the Royal Mail redirection service if you’re moving house
Check your eligibility
You might be able to use the Pension Credit Calculator to check your eligibility and get an estimate of how much you could get.