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Money and entitlements for over-60s: what you can claim

Last checked November 2026. Offers and rules change: confirm with the provider before you rely on them.

Reaching 60, State Pension age, 75 and 80 each unlocks different help with bills, health costs and everyday living, but very little of it arrives unless you know to ask. This section explains, in plain English, what you may be entitled to, who qualifies and where to claim.

Why it pays to check

Many payments and discounts for later life are not automatic. Pension Credit has to be claimed. Attendance Allowance has to be claimed. A cheaper broadband deal (a "social tariff") only starts when you ask your provider for it. Every year, people who would qualify go without, often because they assume their savings, their own home or a small private pension rules them out. Quite often it does not.

Some entitlements also act as a key to others. Pension Credit is the best example: even a small award can open the door to a free TV licence at 75, the Warm Home Discount, Cold Weather Payments, help with Council Tax and help with NHS dental and optical costs. That is why we suggest starting with the Pension Credit guide if your income is modest.

How we keep this section accurate

Ages, amounts and deadlines on these pages were checked against official sources (GOV.UK, the NHS, mygov.scot, the Welsh Government, nidirect, Ofgem and Ofcom) at the time of writing (November 2026). Rules differ between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and we say so where they do. Amounts usually change each April, so every page links to the official page where you apply: always treat that page as the final word.

Watch out: We explain the rules; we cannot tell you what to do with your money. For free, independent help with your own situation, speak to Citizens Advice, Age UK or MoneyHelper. Official bodies never ask for bank details by text or cold call; see our guide to spotting scams.

Start with your age

Income and disability benefits

  • Pension Credit – the weekly top-up for people over State Pension age on a low income, and the key to much else.
  • Attendance Allowance – tax-free money if you need help with personal care, whatever your income or savings.
  • Council Tax Reduction and discounts – means-tested help plus the discounts anyone can get, such as 25% off for living alone.

Help with energy and winter bills

  • Winter Fuel Payment – the current rules for winter 2026 to 2027, including the £35,000 income limit and the Scottish payment.
  • Warm Home Discount – £150 off your electricity bill if you get certain benefits.
  • Cold Weather Payment – £25 for each week of freezing weather, for people on Pension Credit and some other benefits.
  • Priority Services Register – free extra support from energy and water companies, open to everyone over State Pension age.

Help with other household bills

Health costs and tax relief

Pull it all together

  • Benefits checklist – a one-page list to work through with a pen, on your own or with a relative.

When you have checked what you are owed, our over-60s discounts section covers the savings that shops, travel firms and attractions offer, and the discount finder lets you search them by age.

Common questions

Do I have to be on a low income to get any of this?

No. Free prescriptions in England at 60, bus passes, the Priority Services Register and Attendance Allowance do not depend on your income or savings. Others, such as Pension Credit and Council Tax Reduction, are means-tested, which means the amount depends on your income and savings.

I own my home. Does that rule me out?

Not for Pension Credit, where the home you live in is ignored. Savings over £10,000 are taken into account, but they reduce the award gradually rather than stopping it outright.

Can a relative claim on my behalf?

Usually a relative or friend can help you fill in forms or make the phone call with you beside them. For someone who cannot manage their own affairs there are formal routes, such as becoming an appointee; Citizens Advice or Age UK can explain these.

Where should I start if I only have ten minutes?

Use the official Pension Credit calculator on GOV.UK, then work through our benefits checklist.

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