The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is urging Britons to check whether they or someone they know may qualify for Pension Credit.
Pension Credit is a tax-free benefit worth up to £3,500 a year to those who are retired and have low incomes.
It can also open the door for claimants to access additional support such as free TV licences, Council Tax discounts, and assistance with other expenses, such as NHS dental care.
In a recent post on X, formerly Twitter, the DWP wrote: “With #PensionCredit you could get additional financial help, plus other support including a free TV licence #HelpForHouseholds’
The TV licence, which currently costs £159 a year, is due to increase to £169.50 a year in April. Anyone who watches live TV or BBC iPlayer must have a licence.
However, people can get one for free if they are aged 75 years or older and they or their partner living at the same address receive Pension Credit.
Who is eligible for Pension Credit?
Pension Credit is separate from the state pension and people can claim this even if they have other income, savings, or own their own home.
People must be of state pension age (currently 66) or over and live in England, Scotland and Wales.
Applicants will have their current income calculated. If they have a partner, the couple’s income is calculated together.
Pension Credit tops up:
- A person’s weekly income to £201.05 if they’re single
- Joint weekly income to £306.85 if the claimant has a partner.
This means if a person currently receives less than those figures based on their circumstance, they may qualify for Pension Credit.
However, a statement from the DWP reads: ”If your income is higher, you might still be eligible for Pension Credit if you have a disability, you care for someone, you have savings or you have housing costs.”
Only certain payments count as income, such as the state pension, other pensions, earnings from employment and self-employment, and most social security benefits, such as Carer’s Allowance.
However, some payments will not be included in the person’s income calculation, and these include Adult Disability Payment, Attendance Allowance, DWP Christmas Bonus, Child Benefit, Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment (PIP), social fund payments like Winter Fuel Allowance, Housing Benefit, and Council Tax Reduction.
People can access the full list of eligibility criteria here. For the full list of Pension Credit payment rates, including for people who have a severe disability or are responsible for caring for another adult or children, people can click here.
Claims can be made up to four months before a person reaches the state pension age, while those who claim later can have payments backdated by up to three months.
How to claim a free TV licence
People aged 75 or over and they, or their partner living at the same address, are receiving Pension Credit, can sign in to their account to apply for a free licence.
Those who think they’re eligible for a free licence but can’t apply online, can call 0300 790 6117 and speak to one of the TV Licensing advisors to request an application form. Lines are open between 8.30am and 6.30pm from Monday to Friday.
Once a person’s application is received, it may take a few weeks to process. If there are any problems, TV Licensing said it will write to the claimant or phone to let them know.
