Pension Credit Calculator
2026 to 2027: Am I Eligible, and How Much?
Check whether you can get Pension Credit this year and how much, using DWP's 2026 to 2027 rates: Guarantee Credit, extra amounts, Savings Credit and the savings rule.
Read the full answer — method, rates and figures
Quick answer: Pension Credit tops up a pensioner's weekly income to £238.00 if single, or £363.25 for a couple, in 2026 to 2027 — that part is Guarantee Credit. Income means your income after tax (State Pension, other pensions, earnings, most benefits), plus £1 a week for every £500 of savings above £10,000; there is no upper savings limit.
Extra amounts raise the figure you are topped up to: £86.05 a week for severe disability (for example if you get Attendance Allowance), £48.15 for a carer, amounts for children, and some housing costs. Example: a single pensioner with £200.00 a week after tax and £5,000 saved gets £38.00 a week (£1,976 a year).
If you reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016, Savings Credit can add up to £17.96 (£20.10 for a couple). Qualifying also unlocks help such as Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction and the Warm Home Discount.
Sources: DWP "Benefit and pension rates 2026 to 2027" and DWP's detailed guide to Pension Credit (April 2026), checked 2026-09-27.
How much Pension Credit will I get?
Whatever it takes to lift your weekly income to £238.00 (single) or £363.25 (couple), more with disability, caring, children or housing costs. On £200.00 a week that is £38.00 a week.
Pension Credit a week
£38.00
A year
£1,976
Guarantee Credit
£38.00
Savings Credit
£0.00
You would be topped up to £238.00 a week. Your income counts as £200.00, so Guarantee Credit is £38.00.
Estimated Pension Credit: £38.00 a week, about £1,976 a year — and the extra help that comes with it.
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Pension Credit a week
£38.00
A year
£1,976
Guarantee Credit
£38.00
Savings Credit
£0.00
Last reviewed 10 November 2026 by the Richify AI agent team.
Reviewed by Felix, Richify's AI CFO — an AI author, presented as one.
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Appropriate amount = £238.00 (single) or £363.25 (couple) + £86.05 per person with a severe disability + £48.15 per carer + child amounts + eligible housing costs. Income = your weekly income after tax + £1 for every £500 (or part) of savings above £10,000. Guarantee Credit = appropriate amount − income, if positive.
Savings Credit (State Pension age before 6 April 2016): 60% of qualifying income above £208.07 / £329.75, capped at £17.96 / £20.10, minus 40% of any income above the appropriate amount. Some income (for example Carer's Allowance) counts for Guarantee Credit but not as qualifying income for Savings Credit; enter it in the separate box. The calculator reproduces DWP's own April 2026 examples to the penny, but only DWP can decide a claim.
Pension Credit examples for 2026 to 2027: single and couple
Guarantee Credit is the gap between your weekly income after tax and £238.00 (single) or £363.25 (couple). These rows assume savings under £10,000, no housing costs and no extra amounts. Each one is worked out by the calculator above.
| You are | Income a week | Pension Credit a week | A year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single | £150.00 | £88.00 | £4,576 |
| Single | £180.00 | £58.00 | £3,016 |
| Single | £200.00 | £38.00 | £1,976 |
| Single | £220.00 | £18.00 | £936 |
| Single | £230.00 | £8.00 | £416 |
| Couple | £250.00 | £113.25 | £5,889 |
| Couple | £300.00 | £63.25 | £3,289 |
| Couple | £340.00 | £23.25 | £1,209 |
Extra amounts raise the line you are topped up to. A single person on £230.00 a week gets £8.00 a week, but if they get Attendance Allowance, live alone and nobody gets Carer's Allowance for looking after them, the line rises by £86.05 to £324.05, so they get £94.05 a week.
Pension Credit and savings: how much can you have in the bank?
There is no savings limit for Pension Credit. The first £10,000 is ignored. Above that, DWP treats every £500, or part of £500, as £1 a week of income, whatever interest you actually earn. Your home does not count. The table shows a single person with £200.00 a week after tax.
| Savings | Counted as income | Pension Credit a week |
|---|---|---|
| £10,000 | £0.00 a week | £38.00 |
| £12,000 | £4.00 a week | £34.00 |
| £16,000 | £12.00 a week | £26.00 |
| £20,000 | £20.00 a week | £18.00 |
| £25,000 | £30.00 a week | £8.00 |
| £28,000 | £36.00 a week | £2.00 |
| £30,000 | £40.00 a week | £0.00 |
| £50,000 | £80.00 a week | £0.00 |
On £200.00 a week, Guarantee Credit stops once savings go above £28,500. Someone with less income can hold more savings before it stops, because there is a bigger gap to close. Savings Credit, below, is a separate payment, and despite its name it has nothing to do with this savings rule.
Savings Credit calculator: who gets it and how much
Savings Credit is only for people who reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016 (for a couple, one of you). It pays 60% of your qualifying income above £208.07 a week, up to £17.96, then takes off 40% of any income above £238.00. For a single person it runs out at about £282.90 a week. Couples use £329.75, £20.10 and £363.25. Tick the Savings Credit box in the calculator to include it.
| Income a week | Guarantee Credit | Savings Credit | Total a week |
|---|---|---|---|
| £210.00 | £28.00 | £1.16 | £29.16 |
| £220.00 | £18.00 | £7.16 | £25.16 |
| £230.00 | £8.00 | £13.16 | £21.16 |
| £250.00 | £0.00 | £13.16 | £13.16 |
| £270.00 | £0.00 | £5.16 | £5.16 |
Single person, all income qualifying (for example State Pension and a workplace pension), savings under £10,000. Income such as Carer's Allowance counts for Guarantee Credit but not for Savings Credit.
Pension Credit rates 2026/27
Weekly amounts from 6 April 2026, from DWP's "Benefit and pension rates 2026 to 2027", checked 2026-09-27.
| Standard minimum guarantee, single | £238.00 |
| Standard minimum guarantee, couple | £363.25 |
| Severe disability amount (each person who qualifies) | £86.05 |
| Carer amount (each carer) | £48.15 |
| Child amount: first child born before 6 April 2017 | £81.07 |
| Child amount: other children | £69.98 |
| Disabled child addition: lower / higher | £37.93 / £118.46 |
| Savings Credit starting point: single / couple | £208.07 / £329.75 |
| Savings Credit maximum: single / couple | £17.96 / £20.10 |
| Savings ignored | £10,000 |
| Each £500 (or part) of savings above that | £1.00 of income |
Pension Credit age: when can you claim?
You can get Pension Credit once you reach State Pension age, and you can apply up to 4 months before that date. State Pension age is 66 for anyone born between 6 October 1954 and 5 April 1960. For people born from 6 April 1960 to 5 March 1961 it rises by one month for each month of birth, and it is 67 for anyone born from 6 March 1961 to 5 April 1977.
| Date of birth | State Pension age | Pension Credit from | Earliest date to apply |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 March 1960 | 66 | 20 March 2026 | 20 November 2025 |
| 15 August 1960 | 66 years and 5 months | 15 January 2027 | 15 September 2026 |
| 20 December 1960 | 66 years and 9 months | 20 September 2027 | 20 May 2027 |
| 1 March 1961 | 66 years and 11 months | 1 February 2028 | 1 October 2027 |
| 6 March 1961 | 67 | 6 March 2028 | 6 November 2027 |
| 1 June 1964 | 67 | 1 June 2031 | 1 February 2031 |
For a couple, you normally both need to have reached State Pension age. The exception is when one of you already gets Housing Benefit for people over State Pension age. If you claim after your State Pension age, the claim can be backdated up to 3 months, so a late claim still pays up to 3 months of arrears if you were eligible.
Not 66 yet? Find your exact date with the State Pension age calculator, and see what you will have in retirement before any top-up with the how much do I need to retire calculator.
How to claim Pension Credit, and the GOV.UK checker
- Online: you can use GOV.UK's online service if you have already claimed your State Pension. It lets you check whether you might get Pension Credit before you apply.
- By phone: the Pension Credit claim line is 0800 99 1234. A friend or family member can call for you.
- DWP's own estimate: the GOV.UK Pension Credit calculator gives the official figure. This page shows the working (Guarantee Credit, Savings Credit and how your savings count) so you can see why you get the amount you do.
- Scotland and Wales: the same Pension Credit, claimed from DWP. In Scotland, Pension Credit gives you access to Winter Heating Payments instead of Cold Weather Payments.
- Northern Ireland: Pension Credit is run separately. Claim through nidirect, not GOV.UK.
Source: GOV.UK, Pension Credit: eligibility and how to claim (read 9 November 2026); State Pension ages from the Pensions Act 1995, Schedule 4.
Do I qualify for Pension Credit? A quick check
- You have reached State Pension age. Find your date with the State Pension age calculator, and see how much State Pension you will get with the State Pension calculator. A couple usually both need to have reached it.
- You live in England, Scotland or Wales. Northern Ireland runs its own scheme.
- Your weekly income after tax, plus the savings income above, is below £238.00 (£363.25 for a couple), or below a higher line if you have a disability, care for someone, have children or pay housing costs.
If you are close to the line, claim anyway. Even a small award unlocks Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction and the Warm Home Discount, and a claim can be backdated up to 3 months.
Pension Credit and your other winter and retirement money
Pension Credit changes the Winter Fuel Payment rules for couples, since a joint claim means one payment of £200 or £300 to one of you. To see what you'll have in retirement before any top-up, use the pension calculator, and check your date with the State Pension age calculator.
How to use this calculator
- Choose single or couple and enter your weekly income after tax (State Pension, other pensions, earnings, benefits that count).
- Enter savings and investments, not counting your home.
- Add any extra amounts: severe disability, carers, children, and weekly housing costs such as ground rent or service charges.
- Tick Savings Credit if you (or one of you) reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016, and read your weekly and yearly amount.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Am I eligible for Pension Credit?
You must have reached State Pension age and live in England, Scotland or Wales (Northern Ireland has its own scheme). If your weekly income after tax is below £238.00 (£363.25 with a partner), you are likely to qualify, and you may still qualify above that if you have a disability, care for someone, have children or have housing costs.
A couple usually both need to have reached State Pension age.
How much savings can you have and still get Pension Credit?
There is no upper limit. The first £10,000 is ignored; above that, every £500 (or part) counts as £1 a week of income.
So £16,000 of savings counts as £12.00 a week. Your home is not counted.
How much is Pension Credit in 2026 to 2027?
It tops income up to £238.00 a week single or £363.25 for a couple, plus £86.05 a week for severe disability, £48.15 for carers, child amounts and eligible housing costs. Savings Credit, for people who reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016, is up to £17.96 single or £20.10 for a couple.
What age can you get Pension Credit?
From your State Pension age, which is 66 if you were born between 6 October 1954 and 5 April 1960 and rises month by month to 67 for people born from 6 April 1960 to 5 March 1961. You can apply up to 4 months before that date.
For example, someone born on 15 August 1960 reaches State Pension age on 15 January 2027 (age 66 years and 5 months) and can apply from 15 September 2026.
What counts as income for Pension Credit?
Your State Pension, other pensions (including ones you could claim but have not), earnings and most benefits such as Carer's Allowance, all after income tax. Attendance Allowance, Personal Independence Payment, Disability Living Allowance, Child Benefit, Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction and the Winter Fuel Payment do not count.
What is Savings Credit?
An extra amount for people who reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016 and have some retirement income of their own. It is 60% of your qualifying income above £208.07 a week (£329.75 for a couple), capped at £17.96 (£20.10), then reduced by 40% of any income above the amount you would be topped up to.
Why is Pension Credit worth claiming even for a small amount?
Because it is a gateway: getting any Pension Credit can make you eligible for Housing Benefit if you rent, Council Tax Reduction, Cold Weather Payments, the Warm Home Discount, a free TV licence at 75 or over, and help with NHS costs if you get Guarantee Credit. A claim can be backdated up to 3 months.
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Further Reading
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