Guidance

Pension Credit toolkit

Use this collection of materials to help older people understand how they could get Pension Credit.

Documents

Press release template: Pension Credit (ODT)

Press release template: Pension Credit (Word)

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If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email accessible.formats@dwp.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Feature article template: Pension Credit (ODT)

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If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email accessible.formats@dwp.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Feature article template: Pension Credit (Word)

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If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email accessible.formats@dwp.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Pension Credit social media images directed at potential customers

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If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email accessible.formats@dwp.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Pension Credit social media images directed at influencers

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If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email accessible.formats@dwp.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Pension Credit posters and flyers to download

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If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email accessible.formats@dwp.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Promote a Pension Credit event: poster, flyer, factsheet, social media image and email template

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If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email accessible.formats@dwp.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Additional products to help you to promote Pension Credit

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If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email accessible.formats@dwp.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Details

This toolkit is for anyone who works with pensioners. Use it to help older people understand how they may get extra money every week by:

  • increasing understanding in your organisation
  • helping your customers find out if they could get Pension Credit

The toolkit contains:

  • guidance to help you understand Pension Credit
  • information to help you support somone applying for Pension Credit
  • common reasons why pensioners don’t claim
  • ideas for events and dealing with the media
  • useful contacts

You can also:

Published 16 August 2013
Last updated 98 April 2024 + show all updates
  1. Removed Press release template: Pension Credit (ODT and Word) and Feature article template: Pension Credit (ODT and Word) . These documents are no longer needed and had outdated information.

  2. Updated with the latest benefit rates, effective from 8 April 2024.

  3. Replaced the social media images directed at customers and also the images directed at influencers.

  4. Updating Welsh HTML (Credyd Pensiwn a help i bobl anabl) to match additions to English HTML (Pension Credit and help for disabled people)

  5. Added information about Carer Support Payment to 'Pension Credit and help for disabled people' under the heading 'Extra Pension Credit for severely disabled people or carers'

  6. Added new video link in 'Pension Credit toolkit: advice and guidance for stakeholders' to help explain the Pension Credit calculator.

  7. Updated video links in 'Pension Credit toolkit: advice and guidance for stakeholders' under the section 'Videos you can use to promote Pension Credit'.

  8. Updated the Pension Credit toolkit. The average weekly amount of Pension Credit has increased from over £67 to over £75.

  9. Updated the zip files 'Pension Credit posters and flyers to download' and 'Lawr lwytho a gweld yr holl bosteri a thaflenni i hyrwyddo Credyd Pensiwn' with new English and Welsh posters to download.

  10. Added updated zip files for Pension Credit social media images directed at potential customers and Pension Credit social media images directed at influencers.

  11. Added updated files to promote a Pension Credit event: poster, flyer, factsheet, social media image and email template.

  12. Added Pension Credit images and zip files for customers and influencers. Updated the average weekly amount of Pension Credit from £65 to over £67 in the Pension Credit Toolkit document.

  13. update Welsh as per English

  14. Added Scottish Adult Disability Payment to the section on extra Pension Credit for severely disabled people or carers in the document called 'Pension Credit and help for disabled people'.

  15. Added 'Additional products to help you to promote Pension Credit' attachment. Also added a link to the 'Products to help promote Pension Credit week of action (12 to 16 June 2023)’ page.

  16. In the Pension Credit toolkit, added updated income levels from April 2023 showing that if you are over 65 and reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016, you could still qualify for Pension Credit if their weekly income is less than £240.90 if you're single and £351.45 if you're a couple.

  17. Added poster, flyer, factsheet, social media image and email template to promote an event to raise awareness of Pension Credit.

  18. Replaced English and Welsh leaflet with the April 2023 version that has the latest Pension Credit amounts.

  19. Updated with the latest benefit rates, effective from 10 April 2023.

  20. Added new social media images, posters and videos to promote Pension Credit.

  21. Removed promotional materials related to the 18 December 2022 deadline for the £324 Cost of Living Payment.

  22. Added information about Cost of Living Payments and Pension Credit.

  23. Updated Pension Credit Toolkit: 2 YouTube videos; Pension Credit images, influencer, posters and flyer zip files - English and Welsh and 'Even if you own your own home', 'If you have family over State Pension age' and 'Poster and flyer images - English and Welsh.

  24. Revised the Pension Credit toolkit: advice and guidance for stakeholders - this now includes a new ZIP file of posters and flyers to download and use to promote Pension Credit.

  25. Updated with the latest benefit rates, effective from 11 April 2022.

  26. Added Pension Credit images for influencers and a new YouTube video.

  27. Added updated Pension Credit images that stakeholders can download and use on their social media.

  28. Updated social media creative assets (video and images) in 'Pension Credit toolkit: advice and guidance for stakeholders'.

  29. Updated with the latest rates effective from 12 April 2021.

  30. Updated Pension Credit toolkit to include details of the new online Pension Credit claim service and recent campaign materials. The content has also been refreshed and information that is no longer relevant removed.

  31. Added free TV licence information for those aged 75 and over to 'Pension Credit toolkit: advice and guidance for stakeholders'.

  32. Updated 'Pension Credit toolkit: advice and guidance for stakeholders' 'Pension Credit and help for disabled people' 'Press release template: Pension Credit' and 'Feature article template: Pension Credit' with the latest benefit rates effective from 6 April 2020.

  33. Added information about Housing Benefit to the guide 'Pension Credit and help for disabled people' and added a link to how to order a Pension Credit leaflet.

  34. Updated 'Pension Credit toolkit: advice and guidance for stakeholders' ahead of the Pension Credit campaign.

  35. Updated and expanded information on mixed age couples in ‘Pension Credit toolkit: advice and guidance for stakeholders’.

  36. Published revised documents with new rates from April 2019.

  37. Updated the toolkit to reflect the changes which apply to Pension Credit for couples from 15 May 2019. Also updated the section about the qualifying ages for State Pension and Pension Credit to reflect that the equalisation of these ages is now in place.

  38. Updated the guide to reflect that, from February 2019, an additional amount of Pension Credit is available for people who look after a child or qualifying young person.

  39. Published revised versions with new rates from April 2018.

  40. Published an updated version of ‘Pension Credit and help for disabled people’. And in the advice and guidance for stakeholders, clarified the income threshold for people over 65 who reached their State Pension Age before 6 April 2016.

  41. Updated to take account of changes from April 2017.

  42. Minor updates to the 'Pension Credit and help for disabled people' document.

  43. Replaced 'Charts to check who can get Pension Credit' with updated version.

  44. Updated the information about DLA in 'Pension Credit and help for disabled people'.

  45. Updated the Pension Credit toolkit document to take account of the changes from April 2016.

  46. Published revised version of 'Charts to check who can get Pension Credit'.

  47. Published revised versions of the help for disabled people, press article and press feature documents. Removed the reference to the full benefits check in the 'Other useful tips' section of the advice and guidance' document (because they're no longer available).

  48. Updated the advice and guidance for stakeholders with new figures from April 2015.

  49. Amended the toolkit to bring the amounts and dates in line with current legislation. Published updated versions of 'Pension Credit and help for disabled people', the press article template and the press feature.

  50. Replaced charts to check who can get Pension Credit with updated versions.

  51. First published.