The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has released new figures showing that 13 million people across the UK are currently receiving the State Pension. It’s available to both men and women who’ve reached the UK Government’s retirement age of 66 and have made at least ten years’ worth of National Insurance (NI) contributions.
However, if you’re over 80 with no Basic State Pension coming in, or your weekly income is less than £105.70, you could be eligible for some additional funds to help cover living costs.
The ‘Over 80 Pension’ currently provides £105.70 each week to those not receiving any Basic State Pension, or tops up the difference to that amount. Furthermore, if you’re over 80 and on a low income, you might also qualify for Pension Credit, which could add more than £4,300 to your bank account during the 2025/26 tax year, as reported by the Daily Record.
It’s important to note that you can’t apply for the ‘Over 80 Pension’ if you reached State Pension age on or after April 6, 2016 – if you did, you’re eligible for the New State Pension, according to Plymouth Live. The official guidance on GOV.uk states that you can make a claim for the over 80 pension if all the following criteria are met:
At present, nearly 1.4 million golden oldies across the UK are pocketing this means-tested benefit that could dish out an average of £4,300 in help for the coming year. But, according to fresh stats from the DWP, there are still 760,000 eligible pensioners who aren’t claiming the money they’re due.
Some seniors believe that because they’ve got a bit stashed away or own their home, they wouldn’t be eligible for the means-tested benefit, which can also unlock help with housing costs, Winter Fuel Payment and Council Tax. Even an award of just £1 per week is enough to open the door to extra support.
New claims lodged before September that get the green light will also be in line for the 2025/26 Winter Fuel Payment.
Pension Credit tops up weekly income to a guaranteed minimum level of £227.10 a week for single pensioners or £346.60 for couples. It’s a tax-free payout for those who:
Older people, or their friends and family, can quickly check if they’re eligible and get a rough idea of potential benefits using the online Pension Credit calculator available on GOV.UK here. Alternatively, pensioners can give the Pension Credit helpline a call to make a claim on 0800 99 1234 – lines are open from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.
Expert help and advice is also on hand from:
Pension Credit provides additional financial assistance for those over the State Pension age who are on a low income. It also paves the way to several other benefits.
This support guarantees a minimum weekly income of £227.10 for single pensioners and £346.60 for couples, with higher amounts available for those with disabilities or caring responsibilities.
If you’re eligible for Pension Credit, you can also receive other forms of help, such as:
As of May 2019, the rules shifted so that ‘mixed age couples’ – where one partner is over State Pension age and the other isn’t – are now considered a ‘working age’ couple when applying for means-tested benefits.
This implies they’re not eligible for Pension Credit or Housing Benefit for pensioners until both partners have reached State Pension age. Prior to this change by the DWP, mixed age couples could receive the more generous pension-age benefits as soon as one partner reached State Pension age.
To use the calculator on GOV.UK, you will need details of:
You’ll need the same details for your partner if you have one. You will be presented by a series of questions with multiple choice answer options.
This includes:
Once you’ve filled in the blanks, a summary screen will pop up showing your answers, giving you the chance to double-check and tweak them before hitting submit. The Pension Credit calculator will then give you a rough idea of the weekly amount you might be entitled to.
From there, just click on the link to the application page to find out your exact entitlement from the DWP, including any extra financial support available.
There’s also an option to print your responses from the calculator tool to speed up the application process without having to remember all the same details. Give the Pension Credit Calculator a whirl for yourself or a family member to make sure you’re claiming all the financial support you’re entitled to.
The calculator is a no-go if you or your partner:
You can kick off your application up to four months before you hit State Pension age. While you can apply at any point after reaching that age, your claim can only be backdated by up to three months.
If you were eligible during that period, your first payment could include up to three months of Pension Credit.
You’ll need:
If you’re backdating your claim, you’ll need details of your income, savings and investments on the date you want your claim to kick in.
You can use the online service if:
To check your entitlement, ring the Pension Credit helpline on 0800 99 1234 or use the GOV.UK Pension Credit calculator here to find out how much you could pocket.
At Reach and across our entities we and our partners use information collected through cookies and other identifiers from your device to improve experience on our site, analyse how it is used and to show personalised advertising. You can opt out of the sale or sharing of your data, at any time clicking the “Do Not Sell or Share my Data” button at the bottom of the webpage. Please note that your preferences are browser specific. Use of our website and any of our services represents your acceptance of the use of cookies and consent to the practices described in our Privacy Notice and Cookie Notice.
