Who can claim Pension Credit? Eligibility explained

Pension Credit goes to people over State Pension age in England, Scotland or Wales whose weekly income is below £238 (single) or £363.25 (couple) in 2026/27, plus some with higher incomes who are disabled, caring or paying housing costs.

That is the short answer to who gets Pension Credit, and it is wider than many people expect. Owning your home does not rule you out, nor does having some savings or a small pension. If you have a defined contribution pension you have not taken yet, Pension Wise offers a free appointment explaining your options for it, and it is impartial and backed by government. Where you stand on every test below depends on facts only you hold, so a free ring-back is open to you: an FCA-authorised adviser phones once you send the details form on this page.

Who can get Pension Credit? The three tests

Pension Credit is a means-tested top-up, so eligibility comes down to age, where you live and what you have coming in. GOV.UK puts the first two together: "You must live in England, Scotland or Wales and have reached State Pension age to qualify for Pension Credit." The third is income. Pension Credit tops your weekly income up to £238 if you are single, or your joint weekly income up to £363.25 if you have a partner (2026/27 figures).

Passing the age test means reaching the age shown by the State Pension age checker, which also shows your Pension Credit qualifying age. The ages themselves are set out in the State Pension age guide and the Pension Credit age page.

Income above the figure does not always close the door. The same guide says you might still be eligible "if you have a disability, you care for someone, you have savings or you have housing costs". Those extra amounts raise the level being topped up, and the sums are worked through in how much Pension Credit you could get.

Can you get Pension Credit if you have a partner?

Yes, though a partner changes the test. For this purpose a partner is a spouse or civil partner who lives with you, or anyone living with you as a couple. You must include your partner on your application, and your income is counted together.

The rule on age is strict. GOV.UK says a couple are eligible if either "you and your partner have both reached State Pension age" or "one of you is getting Housing Benefit for people over State Pension age". DWP's adviser guide adds that, from 15 May 2019, if only one partner has reached the qualifying age they are not eligible unless both were entitled to Pension Credit or pension age Housing Benefit before that date and have stayed continuously entitled as a couple since. A mixed-age couple who cannot get Pension Credit may be able to get Universal Credit instead if they meet its conditions, and the partner who has reached the qualifying age is the one who applies if the couple do qualify.

How joint claims work in practice is in Pension Credit for couples. Widows and single women claiming alone are covered in Pension Credit for a widow.

Does owning your home or having savings stop you getting Pension Credit?

Neither rules you out. GOV.UK's overview says "You can get Pension Credit even if you have other income, savings or own your own home." The detail sits in the savings rule: with £10,000 or less in savings and investments, nothing is affected. Above that, "every £500 over £10,000 counts as £1 income a week". The full limits are explained in the Pension Credit savings limit page.

For the home you live in, DWP's guide says its value is ignored unless part of the property could reasonably be sold off separately. A loan against the property, including money raised through equity release, is not ignored unless it is for necessary repairs and improvements. If you are weighing a lump sum from your home, the equity release guide covers how it works, and the question of how releasing money changes what you are paid is one an adviser can talk through with you.

How pensions, work and benefits count towards the income test

Counted as income: State Pension, other pensions, pay from a job or self-employment, and most social security benefits such as Carer's Allowance. Several payments are left out, including Attendance Allowance, Personal Independence Payment, Child Benefit, Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction and social fund payments like Winter Fuel Payment. Whether a particular benefit counts is often what decides the outcome, as the PIP page shows, and the earnings side is in what counts as income.

Pensions you have not yet taken still count. GOV.UK says that if you are entitled to a personal or workplace pension and have not claimed it, the amount you would expect to get still counts as income, and the same goes for a deferred State Pension. The guide also says you cannot build up extra amounts for deferring your State Pension if you or your partner are getting Pension Credit. DWP's guide says a pension pot left untouched is disregarded as capital, but notional income is taken into account as if an annuity had been bought. If you draw down regular amounts, the higher of the actual or notional income is counted. See the drawdown guide and the annuity guide for how those options work.

How a particular pot would be counted against your own claim is a question for the Pension Service. Another route is an FCA-authorised adviser, who phones you after the short form here, and that call-back is free.

Living abroad, moving and the residence rules

Eligibility depends on living in Great Britain. You can keep Pension Credit if you are away for four weeks or less, such as on holiday, provided you are eligible when you go and while away and you tell the Pension Service helpline. You cannot apply while already outside Great Britain, and you cannot get it if you are moving away permanently. For medical treatment or approved convalescence, Pension Credit can continue for up to 26 weeks. The detail is in the abroad rules guide.

DWP's guide also says you must have the right to reside, and be habitually resident, in the UK, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or the Republic of Ireland. People who have come from abroad may be able to get it, depending on their residence or immigration status. EU, Swiss, Norwegian, Icelandic and Liechtenstein nationals usually also need settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme. If your status is unclear, the Pension Service can say how it applies to you, and the same question can go to the adviser on the free call-back.

Does Pension Credit work differently in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland?

The Pension Credit guide on GOV.UK applies to England, Scotland and Wales alike, so the tests above hold in all three. The extra help it lists includes Winter Heating Payments in Scotland in place of Cold Weather Payments, and its list of payments not counted as income includes Pension Age Disability Payment and Adult Disability Payment.

Northern Ireland runs its own version. The nidirect Pension Credit guide says you must live in Northern Ireland and have reached State Pension age, and it gives the same weekly top-up figures of £238 single and £363.25 for a couple. Payments come from the Department for Communities, and claims, changes and questions go to the Northern Ireland Pension Centre rather than the Pension Service in Great Britain.

Savings Credit: who is still eligible?

Pension Credit has two parts. Guarantee Credit is the top-up described above. Savings Credit, the second part, is closed to those who reached State Pension age from 6 April 2016, according to DWP's guide. People who reached it earlier keep access under the earlier rules. Couples are caught too: if the other partner reaches the qualifying age from that date, access is lost unless Savings Credit was awarded before then and has continued without a break. The figures are in Guarantee Credit and Savings Credit.

What else you get if you qualify, and how to find out if you do

Getting Pension Credit can open up other help. GOV.UK lists Housing Benefit for renters, Cold Weather Payments, Support for Mortgage Interest for homeowners, Council Tax Reduction, a free TV licence at 75 or over, and help with NHS dental treatment, glasses and hospital transport costs if you get Guarantee Credit. It can also help with Warm Home Discount.

The quickest check is the online application, which gives the option to see if you might get Pension Credit before you apply, provided you have already applied for your State Pension. You can also ring the claim line on 0800 99 1234. You can start your application up to four months before State Pension age, and a claim made after it can be backdated by up to three months if you were eligible during that time. The steps and papers are in how to apply for Pension Credit, and the claim timeline is in how long a claim takes.

What people want to know before they claim

Do all pensioners get Pension Credit?

No. It is means-tested, so it goes to people over State Pension age whose income falls below the weekly figure or who qualify for extra amounts. Pensioners with higher incomes may get nothing from the Guarantee Credit part.

How is Pension Credit different from my State Pension?

GOV.UK says Pension Credit is separate from your State Pension. Your State Pension counts as income when Pension Credit is worked out; the difference is covered in Pension Credit and the State Pension.

Can I get Pension Credit with no National Insurance record?

The conditions GOV.UK's eligibility guide sets out are State Pension age, living in England, Scotland or Wales, and income; a contribution record is not among them. You will need a National Insurance number when you apply, though. Your record does affect the State Pension that then counts as income; see how many years you need.

Is there a Pension Credit loophole?

No trick is needed. DWP's adviser guide says that if you give away capital to qualify for Pension Credit, or to be paid more, you may be treated as still having it (notional capital). See deprivation of capital and the loophole page before you act.

Can I check whether I might qualify before applying?

Yes, in part. Once your State Pension claim is made, the online service offers a check of whether you might get Pension Credit before you apply. Otherwise the claim line on 0800 99 1234 can answer questions, and a friend or family member can phone for you if you cannot use the phone.

Is it a scam if a call or text offers help claiming Pension Credit?

Treat unexpected requests for personal or bank details with care, and apply only through GOV.UK or the claim line. Pension scams and how to spot them are covered on the FCA's page about pension scams.

Whether Pension Credit is open to you rests on income, partner and savings. During a no-charge call-back, which this page's enquiry form arranges, an FCA-authorised adviser can discuss each of those three.