Pension Credit eligibility in England, Scotland and Wales is linked to State Pension age (Image: Getty)
A new rule affecting Pension Credit eligibility for state pensioners in England, Scotland and Wales is underway in June following a law change that started in April.
The State Pension age in the UK is set in law and under the Pension Act 2014, it is legislated to rise from age 66 to 67 in phases over the next two years, from April 6, 2026 until 2028. As the age change is being phased in gradually, it means people who have a 66th birthday that falls within this two-year period not only face a longer wait until they are eligible to claim their State Pension, but those on a low income also face a delay before they claim a key financial benefit: Pension Credit.
Pension Credit provides pensioners on a low income with extra money to help with living costs and is paid separately from the State Pension. You can get it even if you have other income, savings or you own your own home, and if you’re eligible to claim it, it can also open the door to a swathe of other financial help, including free TV licences, a Council Tax reduction, help with heating costs and some NHS treatments.
Following a 4.8% uplift in April, Pension Credit is now worth £238 per week if you’re single, or £363.25 per week for couples, with the average claim worth £4,300 per year according to the DWP.
But eligibility for Pension Credit in England, Scotland and Wales is linked to State Pension age, so pensioners now have to wait until they are 66 and a specified number of months before they can start claiming it.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) confirmed to The Express that the eligibility for Pension Credit will follow the same timetable as the State Pension age increase to 67, which began on April 6 and affects anyone born on or after April 1960.
A spokesperson for the DWP told The Express: “On background, the qualifying age for Pension Credit is linked to State Pension age.
“This means it is rising in line with the increase in State Pension age and is currently 66 plus a specified number of months, depending on an individual’s birthday.”
The amount of time pensioners will have to wait after turning 66 before they become eligible to claim the benefit depends on when their birthday falls, with some being only a month or two away from their 67th birthday by the time they can claim their first payment.
The DWP has set out the timetable for the gradual increase of the State Pension age to 67, with the process getting under way from April 6.
The timetable delays the point at which the State Pension can be claimed in one month increments, so pensioners with a 66th birthday this month that falls between June 6 and July 5 will have to wait an extra three months after their birthday until they can start getting payments. And the same applies for Pension Credit eligibility.
For example, if you were born on June 6, 1960, then you will become eligible to claim your State Pension, and in turn Pension Credit if you’re on a low income, on September 6, 2026, when you are exactly 66 years and three months old.
The DWP has confirmed the following timetable for the increase in State Pension age from 66 to 67, which shows when people with birthdays between April 6, 1960, and March 5, 1961 can claim their State Pension, and in turn Pension Credit in England, Scotland and Wales:
May 6, 1960 – June 5, 1960: 66 years and 2 months
June 6, 1960 – July 5, 1960: 66 years and 3 months
July 6, 1960 – August 5, 1960: 66 years and 4 months
August 6, 1960 – September 5, 1960: 66 years and 5 months
September 6, 1960 – October 5, 1960: 66 years and 6 months
October 6, 1960 – November 5, 1960: 66 years and 7 months
November 6, 1960 – December 5, 1960: 66 years and 8 months
December 6, 1960 – January 5, 1961: 66 years and 9 months
January 6, 1961 – February 5, 1961: 66 years and 10 months
February 6, 1961 – March 5, 1961: 66 years and 11 months
March 6, 1961 – April 5, 1977: 67 years
The DWP said: “The Pensions Act 2014 brought the increase in the State Pension age from 66 to 67 forward by eight years. The State Pension age for men and women will now increase to 67 between 2026 and 2028.
“The Government also changed the way in which the increase in State Pension age is phased so that rather than reaching State Pension age on a specific date, people born between 6 April 1960 and 5 March 1961 will reach their State Pension age at 66 years and the specified number of months.
” For people born after 5 April 1969 but before 6 April 1977, under the Pensions Act 2007, State Pension age was already 67.”