Pension Credit

Skip to contents of guide

Report a change of circumstances

You need to report changes to you and your partner’s personal and financial circumstances.

Your claim might be stopped or reduced if you do not report a change straight away. Some changes will increase the amount of Pension Credit you could get.

Changes to your personal circumstances

A change of personal circumstances can include:

  • moving to a new address
  • starting or stopping living with a partner
  • the death of a partner who is named on your claim
  • starting or stopping work
  • going into hospital or a care home
  • people moving in or out of your house
  • changing your name
  • switching your bank account
  • changes to your Post Office card account
  • leaving England, Scotland and Wales for any period (for example, going on holiday)
  • you start or stop looking after a child or young person under the age of 20
  • changes to your immigration status, if you’re not a British citizen

Changes to your financial circumstances

You also need to report if your income or expenses change. This can include changes to:

  • housing costs, for example ground rent or service charges
  • benefits that anyone living in your home gets - including getting a new benefit or a benefit being stopped
  • occupational or personal pensions - including if you start to get a new pension or take a lump sum out of your pension pot
  • other income, for example foreign pensions or Working Tax Credits
  • savings, investments or property

Call the Pension Credit helpline if you’re not sure if you need to report a change.

You could be taken to court or have to pay a penalty if you give wrong information or do not report a change in your circumstances.

How to report a change

Pension Service helpline
Telephone: 0800 731 0469
Textphone: 0800 169 0133
Relay UK (if you cannot hear or speak on the phone): 18001 then 0800 731 0469
British Sign Language (BSL) video relay service if you’re on a computer - find out how to use the service on mobile or tablet
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm (except public holidays)
Find out about call charges

You can also report by post. The address is on the letters you get about your Pension Credit.

Living with a partner under State Pension age

You will stop getting Pension Credit if you start living with a partner who is under State Pension age. You can start getting it again when your partner reaches State Pension age.

If you were living with a partner under State Pension age before 15 May 2019 and getting Pension Credit, you’ll keep getting it unless you stop being eligible. If this happens, you usually won’t be able to get Pension Credit again until you and your partner are both eligible.

If you cannot get Pension Credit, you might be entitled to Universal Credit instead, but you and your partner cannot get both at the same time. If one of you starts getting Universal Credit you’ll stop being eligible for Pension Credit.

If you have an Assessed Income Period (AIP)

An AIP is a period of time when you do not have to report changes to your pensions, savings or investments.

If you have an AIP you must still report all other changes to your personal circumstances.

Your Pension Credit award letter will tell you if you have an AIP. You may have one if you’re aged 75 or over and you started getting Pension Credit before 6 April 2016.

Your AIP will end if your household circumstances change, for example if you move into a care home or if you become a member of a couple.

You’ll get a letter saying your AIP has ended. From then on, you must report all changes to your circumstances, including changes to your pensions, savings or investments.

Call the Pension Service helpline if you’re not sure if you need to report a change.

If you’ve been paid too much

You may have to repay the money if you:

  • did not report a change straight away
  • gave wrong information
  • were overpaid by mistake

Find out how to repay the money you owe from benefit overpayment.