- UK-wide
Pension Credit
Means-tested weekly top-up payment from the DWP for people over State Pension age on a low income.
Overview
Pension Credit is a means-tested benefit from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for people over State Pension age whose income falls below a set threshold. It has two parts: Guarantee Credit, which tops up weekly income to a guaranteed minimum level, and Savings Credit, a smaller additional payment available to some claimants who reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016. The amount payable depends on the claimant's income, savings, whether they have a partner, and in some cases whether they have caring responsibilities, a disability, or housing costs. Pension Credit is distinct from the State Pension and can be claimed alongside it. Receiving Pension Credit also acts as a gateway to other forms of support, including help with Council Tax, NHS costs, and cost-of-living assistance. It is available across the UK. Individual eligibility and amount are determined by the DWP based on the claimant's financial circumstances and relevant life events. This page references figures and eligibility criteria from the primary GOV.UK source; the authoritative source for any individual award remains the DWP.
Applies in UK-wide. Administered by DWP. This page is general information; contact DWP for your individual circumstances.
How this page was verified
- Checked against 1 primary source from DWP and linked source records on this page.
- Last verified on .
- Reviewed by Due to You editorial review under the editorial policy and methodology.
How the amount is calculated
Pension Credit is a top-up for people over State Pension age on low income. It has two parts — Guarantee Credit and Savings Credit — that work differently, and understanding which you qualify for makes a material difference. It's the single biggest lever for raising pensioner-household income in the UK, and also has one of the largest take-up gaps: roughly one in three eligible households do not claim.
Guarantee Credit — topping up to a minimum income
Guarantee Credit is a weekly top-up that brings your income up to a set threshold — the Standard Minimum Guarantee. For 2026/27 that's £238.00 a week for a single person and £363.25 for a couple. If your income is below these amounts, Guarantee Credit makes up the difference. Income counted includes: State Pension, occupational and private pensions, earnings (after allowances), most benefits (but not AA/PIP/DLA/ADP/CDP or Child Benefit), and an assumed income from savings above £10,000 (£1 per £500 or part thereof).
Savings Credit — rewarding modest private pensions
Savings Credit is a small extra amount for people who reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016. It rewards modest savings above the basic State Pension. Anyone who reached State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016 is not eligible for Savings Credit. The maximum weekly amount is relatively small (£17.96 single, £20.10 couple in 2026/27) but for pre-2016 pensioners it's worth checking.
Extra amounts on top of Guarantee Credit
Most of the value in Pension Credit comes from the add-ons that sit on top of the Guarantee Credit and re-rate the minimum income threshold upwards. The main ones:
- Severe disability addition — £86.05 a week, for someone who gets AA/PIP daily living/ADP daily living at the middle or higher rate, lives alone (or is treated as living alone), and has no one claiming Carer's Allowance for them.
- Carer addition — £48.15 a week, for someone who is entitled to Carer's Allowance (even if not actually paid because State Pension is higher).
- Additional amount for a dependent child — £69.98 a week per child if you're still supporting a child under 20 in full-time education.
- Housing costs — mortgage interest loan (secured against the property, repaid from the estate) plus ground rent and service charges in some cases.
What else Pension Credit unlocks
Even £1 a week of Pension Credit passports you to: full Housing Benefit regardless of other means test results, Council Tax Reduction, the NHS Low Income Scheme (free prescriptions, dental, eye tests, travel costs), Cold Weather Payments, a free TV licence if 75+, Warm Home Discount automatically, and Winter Fuel Payment automatically for eligible households. This is why the take-up gap is so expensive: a household that qualifies for £1 of Guarantee Credit is typically missing out on £3,000-£6,000 a year in passported entitlements.
How it's paid
Pension Credit is paid every 4 weeks into your bank or building society account. Awards can be backdated up to 3 months from the claim date if you were entitled throughout that period.
Worked examples
Illustrative scenarios with plausible household compositions. Figures are rounded for readability; run the triage or a calculator for a personal estimate.
Single pensioner, small private pension, modest savings
Doreen, 74, widow. State Pension £185/week. Small works pension £25/week. £14,000 in ISAs. No mortgage, owns her home outright. Lives alone.
Income for PC: £185 + £25 = £210 weekly. Tariff income on savings: £14,000 − £10,000 = £4,000; £4,000 ÷ £500 = 8 × £1 = £8/week. Total assessed income: £218/week. Standard Minimum Guarantee: £238.00/week. Guarantee Credit top-up: £238.00 − £218 = £20.00/week.
That £20.00/week is itself modest — but passports Doreen to Council Tax Reduction (full), Housing Benefit if she rented, free TV licence when she turns 75, Warm Home Discount, and automatic Winter Fuel Payment. If she's in single-person Council Tax territory (25% discount) and her CTR takes it further, that's easily another £1,000+ a year.
Couple, one partner with severe disability
Ali, 78, and Pat, 76. Joint State Pension ~£295/week. No other income. £7,000 savings. Pat has advanced Parkinson's and receives Attendance Allowance higher rate. They live alone together.
Income for PC: £295/week (State Pensions). Savings: £7,000 — below £10,000 so no tariff. Standard Minimum Guarantee for couples: £363.25/week. Base Guarantee Credit: £363.25 − £295 = £68.25/week.
Severe disability addition: Pat receives AA higher rate, there's no third party in the household, and no one's getting CA for Pat. The SDA is paid only where the non-disabled partner is not providing care sufficient to trigger CA — sometimes worth not claiming CA for the partner to unlock SDA. Adds £86.05/week.
Total Pension Credit: £68.25 + £86.05 = £154.30/week. Plus full passporting: Council Tax Reduction (full), NHS Low Income Scheme, Cold Weather Payments, Winter Fuel Payment, free TV licence. Annual household value of the claim: around £7,000-£8,000 — exactly the kind of case where not claiming would be a major ongoing loss.
Common mistakes that cost claimants money
Assuming savings disqualify you
The biggest single driver of non-claims. Pension Credit has no savings cap — only an assumed tariff-income calculation on savings above £10,000. Someone with £30,000 in savings has £40 a week of tariff income counted against them (£20,000 above threshold ÷ £500 × £1). If the rest of their income is low enough, they still qualify for Guarantee Credit. Don't self-disqualify.
Not applying for the severe disability addition
The SDA is one of the most valuable top-ups in the entire system (£86.05 a week), yet is routinely missed. To get it you need: you (or your partner) receive AA / PIP daily living / ADP daily living at middle or higher rate; you live alone (or are treated as living alone — certain co-residents don't disqualify); and no one is claiming Carer's Allowance for you. Counterintuitively, if a family member is claiming Carer's Allowance for you, ask whether dropping that claim and picking up the SDA nets the household more.
Not applying for the carer addition
The carer addition sits on top of Pension Credit if either member of a couple is entitled to Carer's Allowance. After State Pension age, Carer's Allowance itself usually isn't paid because State Pension overrides it under the overlapping-benefits rule, but entitlement to CA still unlocks the carer addition in PC. So: claim Carer's Allowance even if you won't be paid it. This is worth £48.15 a week.
Confusing Pension Credit with the State Pension
Pension Credit is a separate, means-tested top-up administered by The Pension Service (part of DWP). It is not part of the State Pension and you have to claim it specifically. Claiming the State Pension does not claim Pension Credit.
Not claiming because of a private pension
A private or occupational pension is counted as income, but so what — if your total income is still below the Standard Minimum Guarantee threshold, you're still entitled. Many households assume any private pension disqualifies them. Do the sum.
Next steps
Go straight to the official route or the closest related Due to You explainer.
- Estimate Pension CreditCheck Guarantee Credit, Savings Credit, disability additions, carer additions and savings rules.
- Claim Pension Credit on GOV.UKUse the official DWP claim route for online, phone or postal Pension Credit claims.
- Benefits for pensionersCheck linked help that Pension Credit can unlock, including housing, council tax and NHS costs.
What to have ready before you apply
- Your National Insurance number (and your partner's, if joint claim).
- Details of all pensions — State, occupational, private, annuities — with weekly or monthly amounts.
- Details of any other regular income — earnings, other benefits, investment income.
- Statements for all savings accounts, ISAs, investment funds (values on the date of claim).
- Council tax bill and any rent details if relevant.
- Details of any severe disability indicator — AA, PIP, ADP, DLA award notice.
- If you care for someone: details of the person cared for and their AA/PIP/ADP award.
- Bank or building society account details for payment.
- If claiming housing costs: mortgage statement or ground rent/service charge details.
Rates
| Rate | Amount | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carer extra amount | £48.15 | WEEKLY | [GOV.UK] |
| Child or young person extra amount – first child born before 6 April 2017 | £81.07 | WEEKLY | [GOV.UK] |
| Child or young person extra amount (standard) | £69.98 | WEEKLY | [GOV.UK] |
| Disabled child extra amount – higher disability rate | £118.46 | WEEKLY | [GOV.UK] |
| Disabled child extra amount – lower disability rate | £37.93 | WEEKLY | [GOV.UK] |
| Guarantee Credit – couple joint weekly income top-up | £363.25 | WEEKLY | [GOV.UK] |
| Guarantee Credit – single person weekly income top-up | £238 | WEEKLY | [GOV.UK] |
| Savings Credit – couple (maximum) | £20.10 | WEEKLY | [GOV.UK] |
| Savings Credit – single person (maximum) | £17.96 | WEEKLY | [GOV.UK] |
| Severe disability extra amount | £86.05 | WEEKLY | [GOV.UK] |
Eligibility criteria include
- RESIDENCEYou must live in England, Scotland or Wales to qualify for Pension Credit. [GOV.UK]
- AGEYou must have reached State Pension age to qualify for Pension Credit. [GOV.UK]
- HOUSEHOLDIf you have a partner, you must include them on your application. You are eligible if both you and your partner have reached State Pension age, or one of you is getting Housing Benefit for people over State Pension age. [GOV.UK]
- IMMIGRATIONIf 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. [GOV.UK]
- INCOMEPension Credit tops up your weekly income to £238 if you're single, or joint weekly income to £363.25 if you have a partner. If income is higher, you might still be eligible if you have a disability, care for someone, have savings, or have housing costs. [GOV.UK]
- INCOMEIncome includes State Pension, other pensions, earnings from employment and self-employment, and most social security benefits such as Carer's Allowance. [GOV.UK]
- CAPITALIf 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. [GOV.UK]
- AGESavings Credit is only available if you reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016. [GOV.UK]
- OTHERSavings Credit requires that you saved some money for retirement, for example a personal or workplace pension. [GOV.UK]
- OTHERYou could get a carer extra amount if you get Carer's Allowance, get Carer Support Payment, or have claimed Carer's Allowance but are not being paid because you already get another benefit paying a higher amount. [GOV.UK]
- RESIDENCEYou can continue to get Pension Credit if you are away from Great Britain for 4 weeks or less. You cannot apply for Pension Credit if you are already outside Great Britain, and you cannot get it if moving away permanently. [GOV.UK]
- RESIDENCEYou can get Pension Credit for up to 4 more weeks if you're away from Great Britain because of the death of a close relative, or a close relative dies while you're away and you cannot reasonably return to the UK. [GOV.UK]
- RESIDENCEYou can continue to get Pension Credit for up to 26 weeks if you've left Great Britain for medical treatment, approved convalescence, or your partner or child is leaving for medical treatment or approved convalescence and you're going with them. [GOV.UK]
- OTHERYou cannot build up extra amounts for deferring your State Pension if you or your partner are getting Pension Credit. [GOV.UK]
- INCOMECertain benefits are not counted as income, including Adult Disability Payment, Attendance Allowance, Child Benefit, Christmas Bonus, Council Tax Reduction, Disability Living Allowance, Housing Benefit, Pension Age Disability Payment, Personal Independence Payment, Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance, and social fund payments like Winter Fuel Payment. [GOV.UK]
- DISABILITYYou could get an extra £86.05 a week severe disability amount if you receive Attendance Allowance, middle or highest rate care component of DLA, daily living component of PIP, Armed Forces Independence Payment, daily living component of Adult Disability Payment, Pension Age Disability Payment, or middle or highest rate care component of Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance. [GOV.UK]
- INCOMEIf you're entitled to a personal or workplace pension and have not claimed it yet, the amount you'd expect to get still counts as income. If you've deferred your State Pension, the amount you would get is counted as income. [GOV.UK]