Hundreds of thousands of pensioners are being urged to check if they can benefit from Pension Credit, an income top-up that can provide vital help with everyday costs.
- 660,000 households will receive advice urging pensioners to check their Pension Credit eligibility, help a loved one make a claim and pin the information to their fridge.
- Pension Credit is worth more than £4,500 a year on average, providing a vital income boost for low-income pensioners.
- New drive builds on last year’s biggest-ever Pension Credit awareness campaign, which saw an additional 33,500 applications.
Worth more than £4,500 a year on average, pensioners and their families are being encouraged to check whether they could be eligible, help a loved one make a claim, and pin the advice to their fridge so they have the information to hand.
As part of the major Government campaign to ensure low-income households do not miss out, 660,000 leaflets will be posted through letterboxes in seven areas across the UK with a high proportion of low-income pensioners.
As pensioners continue to feel cost-of-living pressures, the Government is making sure they have vital support, including the Winter Fuel Payment, Cold Weather Payments, Attendance Allowance and the State Pension, which is set to rise by up to £2,100 over this Parliament.
The advice will guide pensioners through how to apply to Pension Credit, and how to support a family member with a claim, while busting common myths about eligibility, including that homeowners or pensioners with savings cannot claim.
Around 1.4m pensioner households are already benefiting from Pension Credit. Last year, the Department for Work and Pensions saw an extra 33,500 applications, following its biggest ever Pension Credit awareness campaign. The Department has now launched a new drive to ensure that eligible pensioners don’t miss out.
The leaflets will be posted through letterboxes in Glasgow, Powys, Stockton-on-Tees, inland Cornwall, Birmingham, East Suffolk and Manchester.
Minister for Pensions Torsten Bell said:
Far too many pensioners are missing out on support they’re entitled to. Pension Credit is worth more than £4,500 a year on average and can make a real difference to people’s finances, while also opening the door to help with bills and other everyday costs.
If you think you might be eligible, it’s worth checking. We want to make sure pensioners get the support they’re entitled to and don’t miss out on money that could help them in retirement.
Morgan Vine, Director of Policy and Influencing at Independent Age said:
Our analysis found that in 2023/4 more than a million older people on low incomes who are eligible for Pension Credit did not receive it, missing out on a combined £2.5 billion of life-changing support.
Every day we hear heartbreaking stories of older people enduring financial hardship because they aren’t aware of Pension Credit, or that they qualify for the support. We welcome the DWP’s commitment to raising awareness and understanding of Pension Credit and look forward to continuing to play our part to tackle the issue of low take-up.
The awareness campaign comes during the Department’s Pension Credit Week of Action, aimed at dispelling common misconceptions about eligibility and encouraging everyone eligible to apply.
It forms part of the Government’s continued work to boost uptake to the scheme, which encourages people to pin the leaflet on their fridge and also includes adverts across print, TV, radio and social media including a partnership with ITV’s The Chase.
The leaflet distribution and new campaign follows the success of the previous campaign which ran through 2025.
Pensioners who need additional guidance and support in their retirement are also being urged to seek advice from a number of charities including Independent Age and Citizens Advice.