Pension-age support works differently from working-age benefits. Pension Credit, winter support, council tax help and pension-age examples are closely linked, so this hub is designed to help older households move through them as one joined-up journey.
Use the main estimator first, then move into the worked examples and explainers that match the change you are trying to understand.
Free Pension Credit calculator for 2026/27. Estimate weekly top-ups using income, savings and key additions, including the £10,000 savings disregard.
Check age, location and income assumptions against the current Winter Fuel Payment rules.
Estimate Cold Weather Payments using qualifying-benefit assumptions and the number of triggered cold spells in your area.
Estimate possible council tax support using local-bill size, income, benefits and savings. Independent UK checker.
Check whether a legacy Housing Benefit case may still qualify using weekly rent, income, savings and pension-age status.
Pension Credit 2026/27: who qualifies, how much savings you can have, Guarantee Credit rates, and how a small award unlocks council tax, heating and NHS support.
Why even a small Pension Credit award can open the door to council tax help, winter support, NHS cost help and other pension-age support in 2026/27.
Pension Credit worked examples 2026/27: how weekly income, savings and additions affect the estimate and why even a small award can matter.
Worked Pension Credit examples for couples, showing how joint income and savings usually change the estimate and why even a modest award can still matter.
Savings rules for UK benefits 2026/27: UC ignores savings below £6,000. Between £6,000 and £16,000 your award is reduced by £4.35/month per £250 over the threshold. At £16,000+, UC stops. Pension Credit uses a more lenient £10,000 disregard. PIP and Child Benefit are unaffected by savings.
Use these follow-up pages to move from the main estimate into worked examples, explanations and the questions that change awards most often.