There are two types of Pension Credit, guarantee credit and savings credit.
Guarantee credit helps pension age people who have a low income. To be eligible for guarantee credit you (and your partner if you have one) need to be pension age. If your partner is working age and you weren’t already claiming Pension Credit or pension age Housing Benefit as a couple on 14 May 2019, you won’t be able to make a new claim for pension age benefits now. You should claim Universal Credit until your partner reaches pension age.
Savings credit rewards people who have some savings or non State Pension income but is being phased out. To be eligible for savings credit you (and your partner if you have one) must have reached pension age before 6 April 2016 - or one of you had and you were already claiming Savings Credit by that date.
Pension Credit is means-tested which means your income and savings are taken into account. Carer’s Allowance counts in full as income so for every £1 of Carer’s Allowance you get you will lose £1 of Pension Credit. If you are entitled to Carer’s Allowance – even if you don’t receive a payment because your pension is higher – you will get an extra amount called a Carer Addition included when your Pension Credit is calculated.
Your Guarantee Credit will be worked out by starting with a maximum amount called a standard minimum guarantee, but this can then be reduced if you have other income or capital to take into account. You should use a benefits calculator to check how much you could receive. The weekly rates which make up the standard minimum guarantee are shown below:
- Single - £218.15
- Couple - £332.95
- Severe Disability single - £81.50
- Carer - £45.60
- Child (where Child Tax Credit is not received):
- First child born before 6 April 2017 - £76.79
- Subsequent children - £66.29
- Child disability - £35.93
- Child severe disability - £112.21
The maximum Savings Credit you could receive is a weekly rate of £17.01 if you are single or £19.04 for couples.
You can claim online through the GOV.UK Pension Credit webpage.
You can also claim by calling the Pension Credit claim line on 0800 99 1234 between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday. For other methods of contact see the GOV.UK website.
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