Pension Credit

There are two types of Pension Credit: Guarantee Credit and Savings Credit.

To qualify for Guarantee Pension Credit, you must be State Pension age. Use the Gov.uk online tool to check when you'll reach State Pension age.

Your weekly income, including assumed income from savings and capital over £10,000, will need to be less than the minimum amount the government says you need to live on. For 2022/23, this is £182.60 for a single person and £278.70 for a couple. This amount could be higher if you're disabled, a carer or have certain housing costs.

You can only get Savings Credit if:

• you reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016, or you have a partner who reached State Pension age before this date and was already receiving it
• and you have qualifying income of at least £158.47 a week for a single person and £251.70 a week for a couple.

Read our factsheet on Pension Credit for full details.

You can use our free benefits calculator to work out if you might be able to get it.

Guarantee Credit tops up your weekly income to:

• £182.60 for a single person
• £278.70 for a couple (married, in a civil partnership or cohabiting).

An example:

Mr Smith 76 years old. He is single, rents his home and has a State Pension of £129.20 a week and an occupational pension of £25 a week. He also has savings of £11,000. The first £10,000 are ignored, and an extra £1 of income is counted for every £500 above this. This means he has a deemed income from savings of £2 a week. So, his income is calculated as:

£129.20 State Pension + £25.00 occupational pension + £2.00 deemed income = £156.20 total income

Mr Smith’s appropriate minimum guarantee is £182.60

£182.60 appropriate minimum guarantee – £156.20 income = £26.40

This gives him Guarantee Credit of £26.40 a week.

You might be able to get more than this if you’re severely disabled, a carer, or have certain housing costs.

If you get Guarantee Pension Credit, you'll be entitled to claim other benefits, including:

• free NHS dental treatment
• help with the cost of glasses and contact lenses
• help with travel costs for NHS treatment
• full Housing Benefit if you rent
• reduced Council Tax
• Cold Weather Payments
• a Warm Home discount.
• If you’re over 75 years old, you can apply for a free TV licence.

Savings Credit can give you up to:

• £14.48 a week for a single person
• £16.20 a week for a couple (married, in a civil partnership or cohabiting).

The exact amount you’ll get depends on your income and savings.

To make a claim for Pension Credit, call the claim line on 0800 99 1234.

You can also claim for Pension Credit online, if you've already claimed your State Pension and there are no children or young people included in your claim.

When you claim, you’ll need the following information to hand:

• your National Insurance number
• information about your income, including your pensions
• details of your savings and investments
• your bank account details.

If you have a partner, you'll need the same details for them too.

If you can’t claim by phone or online, ask a relative or a voluntary organisation - such as a local Citizens Advice - to request a paper application form on your behalf. You can also download the form to print out.

Since May 2019, the rules if you’re in a couple where one of you is over State Pension age and one is under have changed.

You can only make a new claim for Pension Credit if:

• both of you have reached State Pension age, or
• one of you has reached State Pension age and is claiming Housing Benefit for you as a couple.

If you already get Pension Credit, your payments will continue, as long as there are no changes to your circumstances.