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Updated 21 October 2026. Pension Credit tops up income for people who have reached state pension age and have a low income.
Who is eligible for Pension Credit? You must have reached state pension age, live in England, Scotland or Wales, and have a weekly income below the Guarantee Credit level. In 2026/27 that level is £238 a week for a single person and £363.25 for a couple. Savings under £10,000 are ignored. Above that, every £500 counts as £1 a week of income. There is no upper savings limit. That is the short answer. The rest is how the calculation works, what income counts, and what Pension Credit unlocks.
Pension Credit eligibility: the basic rules
Pension Credit is a means-tested benefit for people who have reached state pension age. It is separate from the state pension. You can receive both. To qualify you must live in England, Scotland or Wales. Northern Ireland has its own scheme with the same rules, run by the Department for Communities. If you have a partner you must include them on the claim. Income and savings are assessed jointly. For new claims both partners must usually have reached state pension age. Mixed-age couples, where one partner is under state pension age, generally need to claim Universal Credit instead. There are limited exceptions for existing claims.
The main part of Pension Credit is Guarantee Credit. It tops your income up to a set weekly amount. In 2026/27 the standard minimum guarantee is £238 a week for a single person and £363.25 for a couple. These figures rose by 4.8% in April 2026 in line with earnings. They are not the amount everyone receives. They are the level your counted income is topped up to. If your counted income is already above the level you will not receive Guarantee Credit, though you may still qualify for Savings Credit if you reached state pension age before 6 April 2016.
The 2026/27 rates
| Weekly amount | |
|---|---|
| Guarantee Credit – single | £238.00 |
| Guarantee Credit – couple | £363.25 |
| Severe disability addition | £86.05 |
| Carer addition | £48.15 |
| Savings Credit maximum – single | £17.96 |
| Savings Credit maximum – couple | £20.10 |
Extra amounts can be added for certain housing costs such as ground rent or service charges if you own your home, and for children in some cases. The rates are set each year. The official figures are on gov.uk and in the annual benefit uprating. Martin Lewis has repeatedly urged people to check, noting that many who qualify do not claim.
What income counts
Counted income includes your state pension, workplace and private pensions, most other pensions, earnings, and most other benefits. Some income is ignored. Attendance Allowance, Personal Independence Payment, Disability Living Allowance and the Scottish equivalents do not count. Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction do not count. The Winter Fuel Payment and the Christmas Bonus do not count. The first £5 a week of earnings is ignored for a single person, or £10 for a couple. If you receive a disability benefit or have caring responsibilities the income threshold can be higher, because the additions increase the level your income is topped up to.
The practical test is simple. Add up your weekly counted income. If it is below £238 (single) or £363.25 (couple), you are likely to qualify for some Guarantee Credit. If it is close to those figures and you have a disability or caring addition, it is still worth checking. The only way to know for certain is to apply or use the official calculator. Estimates are not awards.
Savings and the £10,000 rule
There is no upper savings limit for Pension Credit. You can have substantial savings and still qualify if your income is low enough. The first £10,000 of counted savings and investments is ignored. Above £10,000 every £500, or part of £500, is treated as £1 a week of income. This is called tariff or deemed income. It applies even if your savings earn less interest than that. For a couple the £10,000 disregard is joint, not per person.
Examples: £10,000 in savings counts as £0. £10,500 counts as £1 a week. £15,000 counts as £10 a week. £20,000 counts as £20 a week. The home you live in is not counted as capital. Other property can be. The rules for what counts as capital are detailed. If your situation is unusual the claim form or the Pension Service will ask for the details. The official technical guidance is published by the Department for Work and Pensions.
Mixed-age couples
Since 15 May 2019 new claims from couples generally require both partners to have reached state pension age. If one partner is younger the couple is usually directed to Universal Credit. Existing Pension Credit claims that started before the rule change can continue under transitional protection, but the protection can be lost if the claim ends or if circumstances change in certain ways. The rule is a common source of confusion. If you are in a mixed-age couple do not assume you can claim Pension Credit. Check the current rules on gov.uk or with an advice service before you apply.
What Pension Credit unlocks
Pension Credit is a gateway benefit. Receiving it can entitle you to other support that is not available, or is available at a lower level, without it. The list includes help with NHS costs, a higher threshold for the Winter Fuel Payment in some years, Cold Weather Payments, and in some cases help with rent or Council Tax. The exact package changes. The point is that the value of Pension Credit is often larger than the weekly top-up alone. That is why unclaimed Pension Credit is treated as a policy problem. Estimates of the number of eligible people who do not claim run into the hundreds of thousands. The average award is several thousand pounds a year once the passported benefits are included.
Claiming does not reduce your state pension. The two are separate. If your state pension is below the Guarantee Credit level, Pension Credit makes up the difference. If your state pension is above the level but you have high housing costs or a disability addition, you may still qualify. The calculation is individual. The full new state pension is rising above £13,000 from April 2027, but many people receive less than the full rate. For them Pension Credit remains relevant.
How to claim
You can claim Pension Credit by phone, online, or by post. The phone number is 0800 99 1234, Monday to Friday. You can claim up to four months before you reach state pension age, and the claim can be backdated by up to three months. Backdating is not automatic; you must ask for it. You will need your National Insurance number, information about your income and savings, and details of any benefits you already receive. If you have a partner you will need their details as well. An advice service such as Age UK or Citizens Advice can help with the form if the calculation is complicated.
The official eligibility checker is on gov.uk. It is not a claim, but it gives a reliable indication. If the checker says you may qualify, the next step is to claim. There is no penalty for applying and being refused. The only cost is the time taken to provide the information.
Savings Credit and who can still get it
Savings Credit is the second part of Pension Credit. It is closed to anyone who reached state pension age on or after 6 April 2016. If you reached state pension age before that date and have some savings or a second pension, you may still receive it. The maximum is £17.96 a week for a single person and £20.10 for a couple in 2026/27. Savings Credit rewards people who have made some provision for retirement above the basic state pension. It is calculated on a different formula from Guarantee Credit. You can receive both, or Savings Credit alone if your income is above the Guarantee Credit level but you still meet the Savings Credit rules. The claim form covers both. You do not need to ask for them separately.
Why so many people do not claim
The Department for Work and Pensions and successive governments have published estimates of unclaimed Pension Credit. The numbers are large. The reasons given in surveys include not knowing the benefit exists, assuming savings or home ownership rule it out, and finding the claim process difficult. None of those assumptions is correct in the way people often think. Home ownership does not bar a claim. Savings under £10,000 are ignored. The claim can be made by phone. Advice services exist precisely because the form is detailed. The cost of not claiming is the weekly top-up plus the passported benefits. For someone whose income is £30 a week below the Guarantee Credit level that is more than £1,500 a year before any other help is counted.
How Pension Credit interacts with the state pension rise
The full new state pension is rising to about £13,036 a year from April 2027. That is above the personal allowance, but it is still relevant to Pension Credit for two reasons. First, many people do not receive the full rate. Their state pension may still sit below the Guarantee Credit level. Second, the Guarantee Credit level itself is uprated each year, usually in line with earnings. The gap between a partial state pension and the Guarantee Credit level can therefore persist even as the full rate rises. Checking eligibility after the April uprating is worthwhile if your income is close to the line. The official calculator uses the current rates. It is the practical tool.
The practical steps are the same whatever your situation. Check your state pension age. Add up your weekly counted income. Note your savings. Use the official checker or call the Pension Credit helpline. If you are close to the line, or if you have a disability or caring responsibility, apply rather than assume you are over the threshold. The worst outcome is a refusal. The better outcome is a weekly top-up and access to other help you would not otherwise receive. That is the case for checking Pension Credit eligibility even if you think you already know the answer.
For readers comparing systems, the German equivalent is closer to Grundsicherung im Alter, a means-tested top-up for people above pension age. The UK version is more tightly linked to the state pension age and has the specific £10,000 savings disregard. The principle is the same: a floor under retirement income for people whose own pension is low. The detail is national.
The short answer
Who is eligible for Pension Credit? You must have reached state pension age, live in England, Scotland or Wales, and have a weekly income below £238 if you are single or £363.25 if you are in a couple, after the savings rules are applied. The first £10,000 of savings is ignored. There is no upper savings limit. Guarantee Credit tops your income up to those levels. Pension Credit can also unlock other help. Many people who qualify do not claim. The only way to know is to check on gov.uk or apply.
Frequently asked questions
Who is eligible for Pension Credit?
You must have reached state pension age, live in England, Scotland or Wales, and have a low enough income. The 2026/27 Guarantee Credit levels are £238 a week single and £363.25 for a couple.
Can I get Pension Credit if I have savings?
Yes. The first £10,000 is ignored. Above that every £500 counts as £1 a week of income. There is no upper limit.
Do both partners need to be over state pension age?
For new claims, yes, in most cases. Mixed-age couples are usually directed to Universal Credit.
Does Pension Credit affect my state pension?
No. They are separate. You can receive both.
How do I claim?
By phone on 0800 99 1234, online, or by post. You can claim up to four months early and ask for up to three months’ backdating.
What else does Pension Credit unlock?
It can passport you to other help, including NHS costs and, in some years, additional support with heating. The exact list changes.