Pension credit

Almost half of all pensioners are entitled to pension credit but many miss out by not claiming it.

Pension Credit is made up of two parts and you may be eligible to receive one or both of them:

• Guarantee credit tops up your weekly income to a guaranteed minimum level set by the government
• Savings Credit provides extra money each week as a reward for having saved for your retirement. It can mean up to an additional £14.82 for single people or £17.43 for couples.

Would you qualify?

You need to be the qualifying age for Guarantee Credit, 65 or over for Savings Credit. More details about the qualifying age can be found on the DWP website.

Generally, you will receive Guarantee Credit if your weekly income is less than £151.20 if you are single and £230.85 if you are a couple.

For Savings Credit, you can have a higher weekly income, up to £126.50 if you are single or £201.80 if you are a couple, and still receive some benefit.

All these amounts may be higher if you are severely disabled or you are a carer.

There is no savings limit for Pension Credit but if you have savings of more than £10,000 this will reduce the amount you get.