The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is dispatching crucial letters to state pensioners who may be eligible for Pension Credit, targeting those born before April 1960. DWP Secretary of State Pat McFadden has provided an update on efforts to raise awareness about the benefit.
McFadden Encourages Claims
Mr McFadden stated: "We are always encouraging people to claim the pension credit to which they are entitled. The Committee will know, however, that there have been long-term issues with people underclaiming pension credit and not claiming the help to which they are entitled."
He added: "We have had lots of information campaigns and we have put in lots of effort, and the numbers have gone up, but that is what pension credit is there for: those who do not have access to enough income due to the state pension that they receive."
Trial Letters Sent
A November 2025 trial, conducted in partnership with Age UK and Independent Age, involved sending letters to 2,000 pensioners across England. These letters urged recipients to claim Pension Credit, which is worth an average of around £4,300 per year.
Pensioners were identified through analysis as being the most likely to be eligible for Pension Credit but not currently claiming the benefit.
Average Payment Amounts
The DWP confirmed the exact average amounts for Pension Credit: £115 per week for a couple, £78.23 for an individual pensioner, and an overall average of £82.71.
Under DWP rules, applicants must be aged 66 or older, or born before April 1960, to qualify for Pension Credit.
Committee Questions
Committee member John Milne asked: "It is a scandal that we have not managed to do better, isn’t it? What ideas do you have to improve the situation?"
Mr McFadden responded: "Let me take every opportunity, including this one, to encourage anyone watching to apply if they might be entitled to pension credit. They have nothing to lose by applying."
He concluded: "I encourage every pensioner who thinks that they might be able to access this help to take it up. It is theirs as a right. There has been a long-term issue with some people not doing that. Some pensioners I know are proud and they do not want to ask for help, but I would say to people, ‘It’s there for you.’ If their income and all the other conditions match, people should apply."
