Pension Credit provides extra money to help with your living costs if you're over State Pension age and on a low income. You may receive more if you are disabled, have caring responsibilities or certain housing costs, such as mortgage interest payments.

According to Age UK, about 4 million older people are entitled to Pension Credit, yet about 2 in 5 of those eligible are still not claiming it.

There are two different types of Pension Credit – Guarantee Credit and Savings Credit. You may be eligible to receive one or both of them depending on your individual circumstances.

Guarentee Credit

Guarantee Credit tops up your weekly income to a guaranteed maximum level.

Savings Credit

Savings Credit is only available to people who reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016 and is additional money that could be paid if your income plus savings is higher than the basic State Pension. 

Both types of Pension Credit may pay you more if you are disabled, have caring responsibilities or certain housing costs, such as mortgage interest payments.

A leaflet explaining Pension Credit, who qualifies and how much you might get is available at this link.

Full details of eligibility, how much Pension Credit you will receive and how to claim are available from GOV.UK. 

A "Guide to Pension Credit" is available from ageuk.

More information is available from:

You can get an estimate of how much Pension Credit you may be entitled to GOV.UK.

You can apply for Pension credit by calling The Pension Service on 0800 99 1234. When you phone, you will need your National Insurance number, information about your savings, investments and income and details of the account into which you would like any Pension Credit payments to be paid.

An adviser will help you apply for Pension Credit and let you know what happens next. The adviser can also help you apply for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit at the same time as your application for Pension Credit.

Universal Credit

From 15 May 2019, mixed age couples (where one party of the couple is over Pension Credit qualifying age and the other under that age) will no longer be able to choose whether they claim Universal Credit, Pension Credit or pension age Housing Benefit.

Both parties of a couple will have to reach the Pension Credit qualifying age before they can be entitled to Pension Credit and/or pension age Housing Benefit. This will not affect existing couples on Pension Credit, but it will impact people who form a new couple or where the person above Pension Credit age moves in and then out of work.

But if you are already claiming Pension Credit when the change comes in you won’t be affected (unless or until there is a break in your Pension Credit claim for some reason). Don’t worry – you’ll be told about this change at the time you apply for Pension Credit.

Homeowners

If you’re a homeowner and getting pension credit you might be able to get help towards interest payments on:

  • your mortgage
  • loans you’ve taken out for certain repairs and improvements to your home

This help is paid as part of your benefit and is called Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI).

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