Benefits & Entitlements
Millions of pounds in benefits for older people go unclaimed every year — often because people assume they earn or own too much, or simply don’t know the help exists. Most of the biggest entitlements (Attendance Allowance, the Winter Fuel Payment route, a free TV licence) hinge on one thing: checking your Pension Credit. This guide covers what you can claim in 2026, who qualifies, and how the benefits connect to each other.
- 1 Your weekly income is below the Pension Credit minimum (£238 single / £363.25 couple)→ Claim Pension Credit first — it unlocks the free TV licence (75+), Council Tax Reduction and Housing Benefit.
- 2 You need help with personal care or supervision→ Claim Attendance Allowance (up to £114.60/wk in 2026/27). It is not means-tested and can boost your Pension Credit too.
- 3 You care for someone for 35+ hours a week→ Claim Carer’s Allowance. Even if it can’t be paid alongside your State Pension, the underlying entitlement can raise your Pension Credit.
- 4 Paying for care may be on the horizon→ Get a benefits check AND a care-funding review together — savings affect means-tested benefits, and gifting assets can count as deliberate deprivation.
Pension Credit: the keystone benefit
Pension Credit tops your weekly income up to a guaranteed minimum — £238.00 for a single person and £363.25 for a couple in 2026/27. You can qualify even if you own your home or have some savings. It matters far beyond the cash, because receiving it is the gateway that unlocks a free TV licence (over-75s), Council Tax Reduction, Housing Benefit, the Warm Home Discount and help with NHS costs.
Attendance Allowance: not means-tested
Attendance Allowance is a tax-free benefit for people over State Pension age who need help with personal care or supervision due to illness or disability. It is paid at two rates in 2026/27 — £76.70 a week (lower) or £114.60 a week (higher) — and your income and savings make no difference. You don’t even need to be receiving care; you only have to show you need it. It can also increase any Pension Credit, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction you receive.
Speak to a care fees specialist
Care fees average £60,000+ a year. A regulated care-fees adviser can help you protect assets and access the funding you’re entitled to.
Benefits at a glance (2026)
- Pension Credit — income top-up to £238.00 (single) / £363.25 (couple); the gateway to most other help.
- Attendance Allowance — £76.70 or £114.60/wk; not means-tested.
- Free TV licence — for over-75s who receive Pension Credit (a standard licence is £180/yr).
- Winter Fuel Payment — £200 (£300 if 80+), all pensioners with income ≤£35,000.
- Council Tax Reduction — up to 100% off for those on low incomes.
- Carer’s Allowance — £86.45/wk for 35+ hours of caring.
Getting help with a claim
Benefit forms — Attendance Allowance in particular — are long and the wording matters. A free benefits check (through Citizens Advice, Age UK or your local council) can confirm what you’re entitled to and help you describe your needs accurately. If managing money for someone who is losing capacity is part of the picture, putting a Lasting Power of Attorney in place early avoids the Court of Protection later.
Write your will or set up Power of Attorney
Without an LPA in place, your family cannot legally manage your money if you lose capacity — only the Court of Protection can.
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Guides in this section
Six in-depth guides covering benefits & entitlements for the 2026/27 tax year.
- 01 Free TV licence for over-75s: who qualifies in 2026?
Who can get a free TV licence in 2026 - the over-75 and Pension Credit rules, the £180 saving, how to apply, and the 50% blind concession.
Read guide → - 02 Attendance Allowance 2026/27: rates, eligibility & how to claim
Attendance Allowance 2026/27: £76.70 and £114.60 weekly rates, who qualifies, the claim form, and how it can boost your Pension Credit. Not means-tested.
Read guide → - 03 Carer’s Allowance 2026/27: rates, eligibility & the pension overlap
Carer’s Allowance 2026/27: £86.45 a week, the £204 earnings limit, why pensioners often can’t be paid it, and how underlying entitlement still boosts Pension Credit.
Read guide → - 04 Winter Fuel Payment 2025/26: who gets it now?
Winter Fuel Payment 2025/26: restored to all pensioners with income up to £35,000, worth £200 (£300 if 80+), clawed back above the threshold. Who qualifies and how.
Read guide →
Frequently asked questions
- What benefits can I claim as a pensioner in the UK?
- The main benefits available once you reach State Pension age are: Pension Credit (a top-up for low-income pensioners that also unlocks other help), Attendance Allowance (a non-means-tested payment if illness or disability means you need help looking after yourself), Council Tax Reduction, Housing Benefit if you rent, the Winter Fuel Payment, a free TV licence if you are 75+ and receive Pension Credit, and help with health costs. If you care for someone you may also be able to claim Carer’s Allowance or an underlying entitlement to it. Many of these are not means-tested and millions of pounds go unclaimed each year.
- What is Attendance Allowance and how much is it?
- Attendance Allowance is a tax-free, non-means-tested benefit for people over State Pension age who need help with personal care or supervision because of a physical or mental health condition. It is paid at two rates in 2026/27: a lower rate of £76.70 a week if you need help during the day or night, and a higher rate of £114.60 a week if you need help both day and night, or are terminally ill. It does not depend on your income or savings, it is not affected by the State Pension, and you do not actually need to be receiving the care — you only need to show that you need it. Claiming it can also increase any Pension Credit, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction you get.
- Am I entitled to Pension Credit?
- Pension Credit tops up your weekly income to a guaranteed minimum — £238.00 a week for a single person and £363.25 for a couple in 2026/27. You may still qualify even if you own your home or have modest savings. Around 800,000 eligible households do not claim it, missing an average of roughly £4,000 a year. It matters beyond the cash: receiving Pension Credit is the gateway to a free TV licence (over-75s), Council Tax Reduction, Housing Benefit, the Warm Home Discount, help with NHS costs and cold-weather payments. Always check entitlement even if you think your income is too high — the calculation includes deductions many people overlook.
- Can I get a free TV licence?
- A free TV licence is available if you are aged 75 or over AND you (or your partner living at the same address) receive Pension Credit. It is not automatic with age alone — since August 2020 it has been tied to Pension Credit. If you qualify you apply through TV Licensing (it is not given out automatically — you have to claim it). If you are 74, you can apply for a short-term licence to cover you until your 75th birthday. This is one of the strongest reasons to check your Pension Credit entitlement: a successful claim can unlock the licence (a standard colour licence costs £180 a year in 2026) on top of the Pension Credit itself.
- How much is the Winter Fuel Payment in 2026?
- The Winter Fuel Payment is an annual tax-free payment to help with heating costs over winter. After the 2024 cut that limited it to Pension Credit recipients, the rules were reversed for winter 2025/26: it is now paid to everyone over State Pension age in England and Wales, worth £200 per household (£300 where someone is aged 80 or over). However, if your individual taxable income is over £35,000, HMRC claws the payment back through the tax system — so higher-income pensioners effectively do not keep it. You do not need to claim: payment is automatic for eligible pensioners.
- Can I claim Carer’s Allowance if I look after someone?
- Carer’s Allowance is £86.45 a week (2026/27) if you spend at least 35 hours a week caring for someone who receives a qualifying disability benefit such as Attendance Allowance or PIP, and your net earnings are under the weekly limit (£204 in 2026/27). There is an important catch for pensioners: you usually cannot be paid both Carer’s Allowance and the full State Pension at the same time (the “overlapping benefits” rule). But even when you cannot be paid it, claiming can give you an “underlying entitlement” that increases your Pension Credit. So it is almost always worth applying.
- Will claiming benefits affect my State Pension or care funding?
- The State Pension itself is not means-tested, so claiming benefits does not reduce it. But the picture is different for care funding and means-tested benefits: savings and capital affect Pension Credit, Council Tax Reduction and Housing Benefit (capital over £10,000 starts to reduce them, and £16,000 usually disqualifies you from Pension Credit). If you may need to pay for care, how you hold and spend money matters — giving assets away to avoid care fees can be treated as “deliberate deprivation”. If care funding is on the horizon, get the benefits and the funding rules looked at together rather than separately.