Thousands of pensioners across the UK could be missing out on Pension Credit worth up to £227.10 a week, despite the benefit helping to unlock a free TV licence and other support. Applications for Pension Credit fell by 36 per cent over the past year, according to Department for Work and Pensions data analysed by Which?.
That data showed 209,735 applications between February 2025 and February 2026, down from 326,842 in the previous 12 months. Weekly applications briefly reached around 10,000 before falling back to approximately 4,000, leaving a much lower level of claims than the surge that followed the link between Winter Fuel Payments and Pension Credit.
Which? on Pension Credit
Which? said the benefit can do more than top up weekly income. People who receive Pension Credit may also qualify for Housing Benefit, Support for Mortgage Interest loans and council tax reductions through their local authority, along with Cold Weather Payments, reduced water bills and discounted broadband social tariffs.
Households where someone is aged 75 or over and receives Pension Credit can qualify for a free TV licence. The same benefit can also help with NHS costs, making it relevant well beyond the weekly payment itself.
Helen Whately and eligibility
Helen Whately, the Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, has been named in the source context as part of the debate around the fall in claims. The key practical point for older people is that owning a home, having savings or receiving a private pension does not automatically rule out Pension Credit.
That leaves a straightforward next step for anyone who has not checked their position: look again at whether they meet the rules, even if they have assumed they would be excluded. The numbers show the gap between entitlement and take-up has widened while the weekly value remains high.
Andy Burnham and take-up
Andy Burnham is also named in the source context, alongside the wider concern that thousands may still not be claiming what they could receive. The decline came after Government campaigns encouraged older people to check whether they were eligible, so the fall in applications sits alongside a clear public push to increase take-up.
The unanswered question is how many eligible pensioners still are not claiming Pension Credit. On the figures available, the drop from 326,842 applications to 209,735 suggests a large number of older people may be leaving money and linked support unclaimed.
