Hundreds of thousands of households will receive leaflets encouraging pensioners to check whether they are eligible for Pension Credit, according to the Department for Work and Pensions.

Key points

  • 660,000 leaflets — will go through letterboxes in seven parts of the UK
  • More than £4,500 a year — the average value of Pension Credit
  • 33,500 extra applications — came after last year's awareness campaign
  • 1.4 million households — already receive the benefit

The leaflets will be delivered in Glasgow, Powys, Stockton-on-Tees, inland Cornwall, Birmingham, East Suffolk and Manchester. These are areas with a high proportion of pensioners on low incomes, the department says, and each leaflet explains how to apply and how to help a relative make a claim. It also challenges the belief that homeowners or those with savings cannot get the money.

Pension Credit is worth over £4,500 a year on average and acts as a gateway to other support, including help with bills. Around 1.4 million pensioner households already claim it. Last year's campaign, the largest so far, produced an extra 33,500 applications, and ministers hope this new push will reach more of those who are entitled but not claiming.

Pensions Minister Torsten Bell said far too many pensioners are missing out on support they are entitled to, adding that checking eligibility is worthwhile. Morgan Vine, Director of Policy and Influencing at Independent Age, said the charity's analysis found that in 2023/4 more than a million older people on low incomes who were eligible did not receive Pension Credit, missing out on a combined £2.5 billion. The current drive is part of Pension Credit Week of Action, with advertising on print, TV, radio and social media, including a partnership with ITV's The Chase.

Editor's comment

What it means in practice

If you are retired and on a low income, this is a nudge to check something that could be worth more than £4,500 a year. Claiming can also open the door to other help, such as the Winter Fuel Payment and Cold Weather Payments. It costs nothing to find out.

  • Check your eligibility — go to the government's Pension Credit pages or call the dedicated helpline. Do not assume that owning your home or having some savings rules you out.
  • Help a relative — the leaflets explain how to support a family member with a claim, and charities such as Independent Age and Citizens Advice can also guide you.
  • Keep the leaflet — pin it to the fridge or somewhere handy, as the campaign suggests, so the details are there when you need them.