State pensioners who are responsible for a child or young person living with them may be eligible for an extra weekly payment of £69.98 from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The payment is available as an extra Pension Credit amount for pensioners in England, Scotland and Wales on a low income with additional care responsibilities.
Pension Credit can top up weekly income to £238 for single people or £363.25 for couples, but in some cases this amount can be increased with an extra payment. For pensioners responsible for a child or young person in their household, the benefit can be topped up by £69.98 per week. This rises to £81.07 per week for the first child if they were born before April 6, 2017.
More than £3,000 extra per year
Over a full year, this amounts to more than £3,000 of extra income on top of the regular Pension Credit amount, and it can be claimed in addition to the State Pension.
To be eligible for the top-up, pensioners must be responsible for a child or young person, and that person must live with them. The extra amount is paid until 31 August after the child's 16th birthday, or after their 19th birthday if they are in eligible education or training – for example, studying for GCSEs, A levels, BTECs, Scottish Highers and SVQs or NVQs up to level 3. If they are in education, it must be for more than 12 hours a week on average.
DWP guidance on extra amounts
Confirming the extra amount in Pension Credit guidance for advisers published in May 2026, the DWP said: “Your customer may be able to get an extra amount for children in their Pension Credit. If your customer meets the following criteria they may be entitled to this additional amount as part of their Guarantee Credit:
- your customer has main responsibility for a child under 16 years of age or a Qualifying Young Person (QYP)
- the child or QYP must be normally living with your customer
“A young person who has reached age 16 but not age 20 is a 'qualifying young person' up to but not including the 1st September following their 16th birthday, and up to but not including the 1st September following their 19th birthday if they are enrolled or been accepted in full-time, non-advanced education or approved training before the age of 19.
“Your customer must contact the Pension Credit helpline to inform us that they have become responsible for a child or QYP.”
The DWP added: “The additional amount for a child or QYP is paid as part of the PC applicable amount. There are four payable amounts:
- a higher amount for the first child or QYP born before 6 April 2017 - the rate for this amount is £81.07
- a standard amount for each additional child or QYP, or those born on or after 6 April 2017 - the rate for this amount is £69.98
- an extra amount for each disabled child or QYP - in receipt of DLA or PIP or in Scotland, Child Disability Payment or Adult Disability Payment - the rate for this amount is £37.93
- a higher extra amount for each disabled child or QYP – who is blind or in receipt of the highest rate care component of DLA or Child Disability Payment, or the enhanced daily living component of PIP or Adult Disability Payment - the rate for this amount is £118.46.”
Additional support and how to apply
Besides the extra amount for children or young people, Pension Credit also opens the door to other financial support, including housing costs, Council Tax reduction, free TV licences, and help with heating costs.
To qualify for Pension Credit, you must have reached State Pension age and live in England, Scotland or Wales. You can apply up to four months before reaching State Pension age or any time after, but your application can only be backdated by three months. This means you can get up to three months of Pension Credit in your first payment if you were eligible during that time.
You can use the government's online Pension Credit calculator to get an estimate of how much you could get and can contact the Pension Service helpline on 0800 99 1234 to check if you're eligible for extra amounts.
