Older people could be handed a major boost in the form of Pension Credit.
State pensioners are being handed £3,900 from the Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP ) with payments being rolled out quicker by the benefits department. Older people could be handed a major boost in the form of Pension Credit.
Labour Party government minister Torsten Bell issued a response to a question from Liberal Democrats MP Chris Coghlan. Mr Bell said the DWP was “working hard to meet its published timeliness standard of processing claims and reduce Pension Credit processing times”.
He explained: “The latest Pension Credit published statistics show DWP cleared 211,600 Pension Credit claims from July, 29 2024 to February, 9 2025, representing an 87 per cent increase in clearance compared to 112,900 cleared Pension Credit claims for the comparable 2023/24 period
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He added: “Escalation arrangements are also in place for cases where individuals are identified as being vulnerable or in immediate hardship.”
Guarantee Credit is the main part of Pension Credit, giving you a top-up of your weekly income to a minimum guaranteed level. For 2025/26, this is £227.10 a week if you’re single, and £346.60 a week if you’re in a couple (you’ll get slightly more if you claim certain disability-related benefits, or have caring responsibilities).
Savings Credit is for those who reached state pension age before April 2016, there’s an extra boost available if you’ve made provision for your retirement via savings, work or a private pension.
This gives you up to £17.30 a week if you’re single, and £19.36 if you’re in a couple. To qualify, you’ve got to earn above a threshold amount of £198.27 if you’re single and £314.34 if you’re in a couple.
About 2.2 million households are eligible for Pension Credit, but it’s estimated that around 760,000 don’t claim. You must have a weekly income below £227.10 if you’re single, or £346.60 if you’re in a couple.
