The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is sending out letters to state pensioners in seven areas of the UK to potentially boost their income by up to £1,031.33 per month on average. Around 660,000 leaflets will be posted through letterboxes from this month in parts of the country with a high proportion of low-income pensioners.
Pension Credit leaflets target seven areas
The leaflets will contain advice guiding pensioners through how to apply for Pension Credit, a DWP benefit available to pension-age people in England, Scotland or Wales who are on a low income. According to the DWP, Pension Credit is worth more than £4,500 per year on average and around 1.4 million pensioner households are already benefiting from it.
Last year, the DWP saw an extra 33,500 applications following its biggest ever Pension Credit awareness campaign and now it has launched a new drive to ensure that more eligible pensioners don’t miss out.
How much Pension Credit can be worth
In the 2026 to 2027 tax year, Pension Credit can top up your weekly income to £238 if you’re single or your joint weekly income to £363.25 if you have a partner. When averaged across 12 months, single pensioners entitled to the full amount could get up to £1,031.33 per month, while couples could get up to £1,574.08 per month.
Of course, the exact amount you get depends on your income, including your State Pension, other pensioners, earnings from employment, and any social security benefits you might get, so entitlement will vary depending on individual circumstances.
Gateway to additional support
But it’s not just the top-up to your income that makes Pension Credit worth claiming, as it also serves as a ‘gateway’ benefit to a wealth of other support. This includes help with housing costs, such as ground rent or service charges, Cold Weather Payments, a £150 Warm Home Discount, a Council Tax Reduction, help with NHS treatment costs, and a free TV licence if you’re aged 75 or over.
The DWP said the leaflets will guide pensioners through how to apply for Pension Credit, and how to support a family member with a claim, and these will be posted through letterboxes in the following seven UK areas from this month: 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.”
The awareness campaign comes during the DWP’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 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.
Morgan Vine, Director of Policy and Influencing at Independent Age added: “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.”
