One of the most common questions people ask about Pension Credit is simply: "how much would I actually get?" The honest answer is that it depends on your personal circumstances — but the underlying figures the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) uses are published each year, usually rising every April in line with average earnings growth. This page sets out the current illustrative figures for 2026/27, explains how the different components add up, walks through several worked examples, and shows you where to check the exact current rates before relying on any specific number.
The standard minimum guarantee
The foundation of Pension Credit is the "standard minimum guarantee" — the weekly income level the government aims to ensure no pensioner falls below. For 2026/27, illustrative figures are around £218.15 a week for a single person and around £332.95 a week for a couple where both partners have reached State Pension age. These are illustrative figures only; always confirm the exact current rate on GOV.UK, since rates are reviewed annually and small updates can happen.
How your top-up is worked out
The DWP compares your weekly income against the guarantee figure that applies to your household, then tops up the shortfall pound for pound (subject to the additional amounts above where they apply). Take Sheila, a single pensioner with a total weekly income of £170 from her State Pension and a small private pension. Because £170 is below the £218.15 single guarantee, she receives Guarantee Credit of roughly £48.15 a week — the difference between her income and the guarantee. If Sheila were also a registered carer, an additional carer amount would be added on top of that £48.15, increasing her total payment further.
Now take a couple, Brian and Anne. Their combined weekly income from two small pensions and their State Pensions comes to £300, below the £332.95 couple guarantee. Their Guarantee Credit is therefore around £32.95 a week. Because Brian receives Attendance Allowance, an additional severe disability amount is added on top of that £32.95, meaning their total weekly Pension Credit payment is noticeably higher than a simple guarantee-minus-income calculation would first suggest. This is exactly why two households with seemingly similar income can end up with quite different final amounts — the additional amounts often make the biggest difference.
Savings Credit amounts
If you reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016, you may also be entitled to Savings Credit — a smaller top-up rewarding modest savings and pension income above a set threshold. Savings Credit is subject to its own maximum weekly amount and its own qualifying income thresholds, which are also uprated annually. Because eligibility for Savings Credit depends on your State Pension age date rather than just your finances, it's worth reading our full explainer on Guarantee Credit vs Savings Credit before assuming it applies to you.
What's included and excluded from your income assessment
When working out your Pension Credit amount, the DWP takes into account most regular income, including:
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1
Your State Pension and any additional State Pension or protected payment.
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2
Private and workplace pensions, including annuity income and most drawdown income.
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3
Earnings from part-time work, after certain disregards.
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4
Most other social security benefits, though some — such as Attendance Allowance — are ignored entirely.
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5
Notional income from savings above £10,000 (see below).
For a full breakdown of how savings specifically affect your figure, see Pension Credit if you have savings.
The £10,000 savings disregard
The first £10,000 of savings and capital is completely ignored when working out your Pension Credit. Above that, the DWP applies a "tariff income" rule: for every £500 (or part of £500) held above £10,000, £1 a week is added to your assessed income. So, for example, £12,300 in savings is £2,300 above the disregard, which rounds up to five lots of £500, adding £5 a week to your assessed income — not the full value of the savings themselves. This is a common source of confusion, and often the reason people wrongly assume savings will rule them out altogether.
How and when amounts change
Pension Credit rates are reviewed every April, usually alongside other means-tested benefits, and increases typically track average earnings growth or inflation, whichever mechanism applies that year under the relevant uprating rules. If your income or savings change during the year — for example, your private pension increases, or you inherit some savings — you're required to report this, and your Pension Credit amount may be adjusted, up or down, from the date of the change.
It's worth keeping a note of your award letter each year, since it will confirm the exact weekly figure the DWP has calculated for your household — this is the figure that actually matters for your budgeting, rather than any generic illustrative rate published online, including the ones on this page.
How Pension Credit amounts compare across household types
It can help to see a few different household situations side by side to understand how the additional amounts stack up. A single person with no additional needs receives just the standard guarantee top-up. A single person who is also a registered carer receives the guarantee top-up plus a carer addition. A couple where one partner has a qualifying severe disability receives the couple's guarantee plus one disability addition, while a couple where both partners qualify for the disability addition receive it at a higher combined rate. Families with dependent children receive further additions on top of all of this, layered according to the number of children and whether any of them have a qualifying disability of their own.
The figures on this page are illustrative and reflect the 2026/27 award year. Rates are updated every April — always check GOV.UK for the exact current amount before making financial decisions based on a specific figure.
Your State Pension amount is one of the biggest factors determining your Pension Credit top-up — see how the State Pension is calculated.
Getting a personalised figure
Because so many factors — disability, caring responsibilities, housing costs, savings, and other income — can all affect your final amount, the only reliable way to know your own figure is to run your actual circumstances through a calculator or make a claim. Our Pension Credit calculator gives a quick estimate, and applying formally, even if you're unsure, costs nothing and can be backdated by up to three months if you were entitled earlier.
This page provides general information about typical amounts, not a personal benefits assessment. GOV.UK and MoneyHelper (moneyhelper.org.uk) can confirm your own exact entitlement.