The consumer guru, famous for slashing costs on car insurance, credit cards, mortgages and household bills, says too many pensioners are leaving cash on the table by failing to check what benefits they’re entitled to.

These payments are designed to help cover the extra costs of retirement or living with a serious health condition or disability – especially if you need someone to help look after you day to day. And crucially, many are available regardless of income, meaning even comfortable pensioners could still qualify for a welcome cash boost.

Here are the DWP benefits millions of pensioners are missing out on – and how to apply.

New State Pension

You’ll be able to claim the new State Pension when you reach State Pension age if you’re:

a man born on or after 6 April 1951

a woman born on or after 6 April 1953

If you were born before, these rules do not apply. Instead, you’ll get the basic State Pension . You may also get Additional State Pension .

Basic State Pension

Everyone eligible for the basic State Pension has now reached State Pension age . To get it you need to have enough National Insurance qualifying years.

You also need to be either a:

man born before 6 April 1951

woman born before 6 April 1953

If you were born on or after these dates, you’ll claim the new State Pension instead.

You will have already claimed your basic State Pension unless you delayed (deferred) your State Pension .

You could be eligible for Cold Weather Payments if you live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland

If you are eligible you will be paid automatically in Dec 2025

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— Department for Work and Pensions (@DWPgovuk) December 6, 2025

Additional State Pension

The Additional State Pension is an extra amount of money you could get on top of your basic State Pension if you’re:

a man born before 6 April 1951

a woman born before 6 April 1953

You get the new State Pension if you were born on or after this date. You will not qualify for the Additional State Pension, but you might still be able to inherit Additional State Pension from your partner.

You get the Additional State Pension automatically if you’re eligible for it, unless you’ve contracted out of it. The Additional State Pension is paid with your basic State Pension.

Over 80 Pension

The over 80 pension is a State Pension for people aged 80 or over. To be eligible you must get either a basic State Pension of less than £105.70 a week, or no basic State Pension at all.

It can give you £105.70 a week in the 2025 to 2026 tax year.

Pension Credit

Pension Credit is the most under-claimed benefit, aimed at providing extra financial support for older people on low incomes – both singles and couples.

You must live in England, Scotland or Wales and have reached State Pension age to qualify for Pension Credit. To qualify, you’ll need to have a weekly income of less than £227.10 if you’re single or £346.60 if you have a partner.

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— Department for Work and Pensions (@DWPgovuk) September 9, 2025

If your income is higher, you may still be eligible for Pension Credit if you have a disability, you care for someone, you have savings or you have to pay certain housing costs, such as mortgage interest payments.

It used to be the case that couples, where one person was over state pension age, could claim, but new rules now mean that both people in a couple must be over state pension age to apply. So, if you’re single and move in with a partner who is younger than the threshold, you will stop being eligible.

But if you’re already receiving pension credit under the old system it won’t stop unless your circumstances change.

How to claim Pension Credit

You can claim the benefit online or by calling the Pension Credit claim line on 0800 99 1234.

Before you ring up it’s worth having your details ready and to hand – this is things like your National Insurance number, bank account details and information about your income, savings and investments.

Attendance Allowance

Attendance Allowance is currently available to people of State Pension Age – that’s currently aged 66 or over – who need help or supervision because of a long-term physical or mental condition. In Scotland, it’s known as the Pension Age Disability Payment.

“This benefit isn’t about having a specific diagnosis,” explains Martin Lewis’s Money Saving Expert site. “It’s about how your condition affects your day-to-day life. Many people rule themselves out when they shouldn’t.”

To qualify, you must have needed help or supervision for at least six consecutive months – even if you haven’t actually been receiving that help.

You must also:

be in Great Britain when you claim – there are some exceptions, such as members and family members of the armed forces

have been in Great Britain for at least 2 of the last 3 years (this does not apply if you’re a refugee or have humanitarian protection status)

be resident in the UK, Ireland, Isle of Man or the Channel Islands

not be subject to immigration control

not get Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Adult Disability Payment (ADP), Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance (SADLA) or Armed Forces Independence Payment (AFIP)

Carer’s Allowance

If you are a carer or someone cares for you, there can be funding to help with this. The rules have become more generous on this, so even if you weren’t previously eligible, it’s worth checking. You could get £83.30 a week if you care for someone at least 35 hours a week and they get  certain benefits.

Free Prescriptions

Everyone aged over 60 gets free prescriptions. You’re also entitled to a free NHS sight test, so you should let your optician know when you reach 60.

Depending on your circumstances, you could also get help with:

NHS dental treatment

the cost of glasses or contact lenses

NHS wigs and fabric supports

travel costs to receive NHS treatment.

Housing Benefit

If you’ve reached State Pension age or are in supported, sheltered or temporary housing you can check if you’re eligible for Housing Benefit for help to pay your rent.

Free Passport

If you were born on or before September 2, 1929, and are a British citizen, you may be eligible for a free passport. More information and application details can be found on here.

Free/discounted TV Licences

TV licences are now only free for people who receive Pension Credit. However, people over State Pension age who are registered as severely sight-impaired or blind may qualify for a half-price TV licence. There’s details of who is eligible and how to apply on the gov.uk site . 

Winter Fuel Payments

Winter Fuel payment eligibility has changed again this year, with millions more now due to receive the payment.

If you were born before 22 September 1959 you could get between £100 and £300 to help you pay your heating bills for winter 2025 to 2026. This is known as a ‘Winter Fuel Payment’.

If your income is over £35,000, HMRC will take your Winter Fuel Payment back. You can check if your income is over the threshold and how HMRC will take it back

Cold Weather Payments

These are extra payments for people receiving certain benefits, such as Pension Credit, when there’s very cold weather. A Cold Weather Payment is £25 a week for each 7-day period – or forecasted 7-day period – of cold weather. This only applies between 1 November and 31 March each year.

Warm Home Discount

If you receive Pension Credit or you’re on a low income with high energy costs, you might be entitled to a £150 reduction on your electricity bill through the Warm Home Discount scheme. Check with your provider. This has also become more generous this year, applying to 2.7m more low income households winter 2025/26, so apply, even if you’ve been rejected previously. 

Martin Lewis says: “That’s good as it’s a terribly implemented system which left many, literally, unfairly out in the cold.”

Council Tax Assistance

There’s no set amount of Council Tax Reduction – it depends on your circumstances and where you live. Each council operates its own Council Tax Reduction scheme, so the amounts of support given across the country may vary.

Wherever you live, the amount of Council Tax Reduction you get depends on many factors, including:

your age

your income, including any benefits you receive 

your savings

who you live with

how much Council Tax you pay.

You may get more Council Tax Reduction if you receive a disability or carer’s benefit. Also, if you live alone, you can apply for a single person’s discount of 25%.

Age UK has some helpful information on this. If you receive the  Guarantee Credit part of Pension Credit  you may even get your Council Tax paid in full.

Recommended reading:

Over 60 free bus pass, senior railcard and transport concessions

If you’re 60 or over or you have a disability, you might be eligible for public transport concessions – from a senior rail card to a free bus pass. 

In England you can get a bus pass for free travel when you reach the State Pension age.

In Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland you can get a bus pass when you reach 60.