Pension Credit claimants can get £0 BBC TV Licences under TV Licensing rules inherited by Labour Party Prime Minister Andy Burnham. If you're 75 or over and you get Pension Credit, you can get a free TV licence.
If you're blind or in residential care, you can get a discounted TV licence, the Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP ) says.
You can get a free TV licence if you're 75 or older and you either get Pension Credit or live with your partner who gets Pension Credit The licence covers everyone living at your address.
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You can apply when you're 74 if you already get Pension Credit. You'll still need to pay for your licence until the end of the month before your 75th birthday. After that you'll be covered by your free licence.
Pension Credit provides a lifeline in retirement to pensioners on low incomes, providing access to additional support, including housing costs, council tax and the Winter Fuel Payment.
The online claim form – updated by the Work and Pensions Secretary after listening to the views of pensioners– means it now takes just 16 minutes on average to apply for Pension Credit and be eligible for up to £4,300, with 90 percent of new customers applying using the simple online form, or over the phone.
The Government is forecast to spend £174.8 billion on benefits for pensioners in Great Britain in 2025-26. This includes spending on the State Pension which is forecast to be £146.6 billion in 2025-26. Crucially the government's commitment to the Triple Lock for the entirety of this Parliament means that spending on people's State Pensions is forecast to rise by over £31 billion.
Sarah Pennells, consumer finance specialist at Royal London said:
There was a lot of focus on December's deadline to claim Pension Credit in order to qualify for the Winter Fuel Payment for 2024, but people can apply for Pension Credit any time, and it could be worth over £4,000 a year.
Our research shows that many people are missing out because they haven't checked to see if they qualify. Three in ten people over State Pension age who were on a low income hadn't checked to see if they were entitled to Pension Credit, while one in ten pensioners who had been told they qualified for Pension Credit have yet to apply.
You can backdate your claim for Pension Credit by up to three months, and the sooner you claim, the sooner you could start receiving payments. Not only that, but, if you're entitled to Pension Credit, you'll be able to get extra help with costs such as rent and Council Tax, which could make a big difference.
Anyone who knows a low-income pensioner who may be isolated and needs support has been urged to remind or assist family members and friends to check their eligibility and apply today. Eligible claims can also be backdated by up to 3 months, ensuring pensioners do not miss out on the support they are entitled to.
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