Estimate your weekly Pension Credit entitlement for 2026-27 based on your income, savings, and circumstances.
This calculator provides estimates based on 2026-27 rates. Actual Pension Credit depends on your full circumstances. Contact the Pension Service for an official assessment.
Pension Credit is a means-tested benefit designed to top up the income of people who have reached State Pension age (currently 66). It comes in two parts: Guarantee Credit and Savings Credit. Guarantee Credit tops up your weekly income to a minimum level set by the government, while Savings Credit provides a small additional amount for people who have saved some money towards retirement. For the 2026-27 tax year, the Guarantee Credit tops up to GBP 218.15 per week for single claimants and GBP 332.95 per week for couples. Additional amounts are available for severe disability and caring responsibilities. Pension Credit is one of the most underclaimed benefits in the UK, with the DWP estimating that hundreds of thousands of eligible pensioners do not apply. This calculator estimates your Guarantee Credit entitlement based on your State Pension, other income, savings, and personal circumstances. Even a small amount of Pension Credit can unlock valuable additional benefits including free NHS dental treatment, cold weather payments, and help with council tax.
To estimate your Pension Credit entitlement: 1. Select whether you are claiming as a single person or as a couple. Couples have a higher minimum guarantee but their combined income is assessed. 2. Enter your weekly State Pension amount. You can find this on your State Pension award letter or your bank statement. The full new State Pension for 2026-27 is GBP 241.30 per week, but many people receive less. 3. Enter any other weekly income, such as a private or workplace pension, part-time earnings, or investment income. 4. Enter your total savings and capital. Savings up to GBP 10,000 are ignored. Above GBP 10,000, a deemed income of GBP 1 per week is added for every GBP 500 or part of GBP 500 above the threshold. 5. If applicable, expand the advanced options to indicate severe disability or carer status, which add extra amounts to your minimum guarantee. 6. Review your results showing your weekly and annual Pension Credit, the appropriate minimum guarantee, and your total assessed weekly income.
Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit) is calculated by comparing your total weekly income against an "appropriate minimum guarantee" (AMG): Step 1: Determine the AMG. The base is GBP 218.15/week (single) or GBP 332.95/week (couple). Add GBP 81.50 for severe disability and GBP 45.60 if entitled to Carer's Allowance. Step 2: Calculate total weekly income. This includes your State Pension plus any other income (private pensions, earnings, etc.). Step 3: Add deemed income from savings. For savings above GBP 10,000, add GBP 1 per week for every GBP 500 (or part of GBP 500) above GBP 10,000. For example, GBP 15,000 in savings creates (15,000 - 10,000) / 500 = 10, so GBP 10/week deemed income. Step 4: Pension Credit = AMG minus total income (including deemed income). If this is negative, you receive zero. Unlike Universal Credit, there is no upper savings limit that disqualifies you from Pension Credit entirely.
Inputs: Status: Single, State Pension: GBP 180/week, Other income: GBP 0, Savings: GBP 0
Inputs: Status: Single, State Pension: GBP 180/week, Other income: GBP 0, Savings: GBP 20,000
Inputs: Status: Single, State Pension: GBP 180/week, Severe disability: Yes, Carer: Yes
Pension Credit is one of the most valuable but underclaimed benefits in the UK. The DWP estimates that up to 880,000 eligible households are not claiming. Even a small award of Pension Credit can act as a "gateway" to other support including free NHS dental treatment and prescriptions, help with heating costs through the Warm Home Discount, cold weather payments, housing benefit or council tax reduction, and a free TV licence for over-75s (if receiving Pension Credit). You can claim Pension Credit by calling the Pension Credit claim line on 0800 99 1234 or applying online at gov.uk. You can backdate a claim by up to three months if you were eligible during that time. If you receive the full new State Pension (GBP 241.30/week in 2026-27), you are unlikely to qualify for Guarantee Credit as a single person since the pension exceeds the minimum guarantee. However, additional circumstances such as disability, caring responsibilities, or housing costs could still make you eligible. It is always worth checking.