\u00a3238 for a single pensioner or \u00a3363.25 for a couple<\/strong>, under the figures reported in October 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe free licence is not awarded automatically. Eligible households must submit an application through TV Licensing, even if they already receive Pension Credit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The rules changed in 2020, when the universal free TV licence for people aged 75 and older was replaced by a concession linked to Pension Credit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This means pensioners who meet the age requirement but do not receive the qualifying benefit generally remain responsible for paying the licence fee.<\/p>\n\n\n\nCredit: Canva<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nHaving Savings Does Not Automatically Disqualify Pensioners<\/h2>\n\n\n\n One misconception surrounding Pension Credit concerns personal savings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The first \u00a310,000 in savings and investments does not affect entitlement. Above that threshold, the DWP treats every additional \u00a3500, or part of \u00a3500, as \u00a31 in weekly income when assessing eligibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A pensioner with savings exceeding \u00a310,000 could therefore still qualify<\/strong>, depending on their other income and circumstances.<\/p>\n\n\n\nPension Credit can also provide access to additional financial assistance, including support with housing costs, Council Tax and certain NHS expenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eligible Pension Credit claims can generally be backdated by up to three months, subject to the qualifying conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These rules make checking entitlement worthwhile for older people who assume their savings or existing retirement income automatically exclude them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
DWP Launches New Campaign as Pensioners Miss Out on Support<\/h2>\n\n\n\n Around 1.4 million pensioner households already receive Pension Credit, but the government says others are failing to claim support available to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The DWP recorded an additional 33,500 applications last year<\/strong> following what it described as its largest Pension Credit awareness campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\nA renewed publicity drive forms part of the department’s Pension Credit Week of Action, which aims to challenge misconceptions and encourage eligible pensioners to apply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Older people seeking guidance are also being directed toward charities including Independent Age and Citizens Advice, which provide information about benefits and financial support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Labour Party Minister for Pensions Torsten Bell said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n“Far too many pensioners are missing out on support they\u2019re entitled to. Pension Credit is worth more than \u00a34,500 a year on average and can make a real difference to people\u2019s finances, while also opening the door to help with bills and other everyday costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“If you think you might be eligible, it\u2019s worth checking. We want to make sure pensioners get the support they\u2019re entitled to and don\u2019t miss out on money that could help them in retirement.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Pensioners can check their eligibility through the government’s Pension Credit service and apply separately for the free licence through TV Licensing once they meet the qualifying conditions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Pensioners aged 75 and over could qualify for a free BBC TV licence through a DWP benefit, even if they have savings. Here\u2019s who qualifies, how the rules work, and what older households need to do to claim.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":110903,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[44],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-127666","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33","no-featured-image-padding"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/127666","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=127666"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/127666\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":127673,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/127666\/revisions\/127673"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/110903"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=127666"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=127666"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=127666"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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