Pension Credit 2026/27: who qualifies and what it is worth

Pension Credit is the most under claimed benefit in the UK. Around 800,000 eligible households do not take it, often because they assume a small private pension or some savings rule them out. They usually do not.

The 2026/27 amounts

Guarantee Credit tops up your weekly income to:

• £238.00 if you are single
• £363.25 if you are a couple

If you have a severe disability, are a carer, or have housing costs such as service charges, the figure is higher. Savings Credit, an extra for people who reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016 and saved for retirement, can add up to about £17 a week.

Who qualifies

• You have reached State Pension age (both of you, if a couple).
• You live in England, Scotland or Wales.
• Your income is below the figures above. Income includes State Pension, other pensions, earnings and most benefits. The first £10,000 of savings is ignored; above that, every £500 counts as £1 a week of income.

Owning your home does not matter. Having a private pension does not rule you out; it just counts as income.

What else it unlocks

Getting any amount of Guarantee Credit, even a few pence, passports you to:

• Housing Benefit for rent, and Council Tax Reduction
• a free TV licence if you are 75 or over
• the Warm Home Discount and Winter Fuel Payment
• free NHS dental treatment and help with glasses
• Cold Weather Payments

For many people the passported help is worth more than the credit itself.

How to claim

Online at gov.uk/pension-credit or by phone on 0800 99 1234. You can backdate a claim by up to three months. You need your National Insurance number, details of income and savings, and your bank details.

Sources

• Pension Credit, gov.uk
• Benefit and pension rates 2026 to 2027, gov.uk

Information only, not financial advice. If a figure here and gov.uk ever disagree, gov.uk is right and we will fix it.