Pension Credit

Overview

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 can get Pension Credit even if you have other income, savings or own your own home.

Other help if you get Pension Credit

If you get Pension Credit you can also get other help, such as:

You must live in England, Scotland or Wales and have reached State Pension age to qualify for Pension Credit.

If you’re from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein, you and your family usually also need settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme to get Pension Credit.

If you have a partner

You must include your partner on your application.

You’ll be eligible if either:

  • you and your partner have both reached State Pension age
  • 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

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.

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.

Contact the Pension Service helpline if your circumstances change.

Extra Pension Credit for severely disabled people or carers

If someone gets Attendance Allowance or the middle or highest rate care component of DLA or PIP they may be entitled to extra Pension Credit of £86.05.

If someone gets Carer’s Allowance or Carer Support Payment they may be entitled to extra Pension Credit of £48.15. They may also get this extra Pension Credit if they are entitled to Carer’s Allowance or Carer Support Payment but they are not being paid it, or being paid it at a lower amount than normal, because they are being paid a higher amount by another, income-maintenance benefit such as State Pension (this is called underlying entitlement).

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.

You can start your application up to 4 months before you reach State Pension age.

How to apply

You can apply any time after you reach State Pension age but your application can only be backdated by 3 months. This means you can get up to 3 months of Pension Credit in your first payment if you were eligible during that time.

You’ll need the following information about you and your partner if you have one:

  • National Insurance number
  • information about any income, savings and investments you have
  • information about your income, savings and investments on the date you want to backdate your application to (usually 3 months ago or the date you reached State Pension age)

You’ll also need your bank account details. Depending on how you apply, you may also be asked for your bank or building society name, sort code and account number.

Apply online

You can use the online service if you have already applied for your State Pension.

Apply now

Apply by phone

A friend or family member can call for you if you cannot use the phone.

Pension Credit claim line
Telephone: 0800 99 1234
Textphone: 0800 169 0133

Apply by post

To apply by post, print out and fill in the Pension Credit claim form or call the claim line to request a form.

Send the claim form to the Pension Service, or ask someone to do it for you.

Freepost DWP Pensions Service 3

Do not write anything except the freepost address on the envelope. You do not need a postcode or a stamp

Last Updated on June 10, 2026 by Ashford Advice.