State pension and pension credit

Anyone wishing to claim the state pension or pension credit should go directly to the Gov.uk state pension website or pension credit website.

Summary

The state pension is a benefit paid to people who have reached state pension age, with the amount based on their National Insurance contributions. People who reached state pension age before 6th April 2016 can receive the basic state pension and additional state pension. People who reached state pension age on or after 6th April 2016 can receive the new state pension. Further information on the state pension is provided in the 'Things you need to know about the data' section below.

Pension credit is a separate means-tested benefit for pensioners who have a low income. The benefit has two parts (guarantee credit and savings credit) and claimants may be eligible for one or both of these. Pension credit is claimed on a household basis. In the case of a couple, either may claim if both are of qualifying age, but only one partner can get pension credit at any one time. Further details on the pension credit are provided in the 'Things you need to know about the data' section below.

The latest figures are for the quarter ending February 2025.

  • In Lancashire-12, the total state pension caseload was 255,220.
  • The average weekly amount of state pension awarded in Lancashire-12 was £212.97.
  • There were 27,621 claimants of pension credit in Lancashire-12 at the household-level.
  • Compared to the previous year, there was an increase in the number of state pension claimants in Lancashire-12 (1.9%). This was the same as the increase in England (1.9%).
  • There was an increase in the number of pension credit claimants at the household-level in Lancashire-12 (2.3%) compared to the previous year. A larger annual increase was seen in England (2.7%).

Source: State pension and pension credit caseload and award amounts from the Department for Work and Pensions, via Stat-Xplore.

State pension

In February 2025, the state pension caseload in Great Britain amounted to around 11.9 million. In the Lancashire-12 area the total caseload was 255,220 while the total figure for the Lancashire-14 area was 304,888. At the local authority level, the highest caseloads were in Wyre (31,380), Lancaster (28,903) and Blackpool (28,238). In contrast, Rossendale (13,172), Hyndburn (14,474) and Ribble Valley (15,441) had the lowest caseloads.

The average weekly amount of state pension awarded in Great Britain was £212.70. In Lancashire-12, this figure was slightly higher at £212.97. In contrast, the figure for Lancashire-14 was lower, with an average weekly award of £212.05. Rossendale recorded the highest weekly average at £217.83. This was 5.3% above the figure in Blackpool (£206.26), which had the lowest average weekly award amount in Lancashire-14.

Compared to the previous year, there was a 1.9% increase in the number of state pension claimants in both Great Britain and England. This was the same as the increase in seen in Lancashire-12 (1.9%). A slightly lower increase was seen in Lancashire-14 (1.8%). All local authorities in Lancashire-14 had an increase in the caseload compared to the previous year. The largest annual increases in caseload were seen in Ribble Valley (2.4%) and Rossendale (2.2%), while Hyndburn (1.0%) and Blackpool (1.2%) had the lowest increases.

Pension credit

The pension credit caseload in Great Britain was around 1.4 million in February 2025. In Lancashire-12, the figure was 27,621, whilst for Lancashire-14 the number was 36,668. At the local level, the largest numbers of claimants were in the two unitary authorities of Blackpool (5,223) and Blackburn with Darwen (3,824). Ribble Valley recorded by far the lowest number of claimants, with just 838.

The average weekly award of pension credit is largely determined by how far the claimant's total income, which may include an occupational pension and state pension, falls short of the guaranteed amount. The state pension element of income may have been reduced due to the number of years in which National Insurance contributions were not made, or if part of the NI contributions were contracted out. Areas with higher weekly amounts per claim may also indicate that more claimants are receiving the award for couples, intended to bring the claimants joint income up to match the guaranteed income for couples, which is higher than the single claimant's award.

The average weekly amount of pension credit awarded in Great Britain was £82.70. This figure was lower in both Lancashire-12 (£80.38) and Lancashire-14 (£74.45). The highest average weekly amount was recorded in Blackburn with Darwen (£87.69) and Pendle (£85.42). In contrast, the lowest weekly averages were recorded in Ribble Valley (£65.09) and Chorley (£65.57).

Compared to the previous year, there was a 2.6% increase in the number of pension credit claimants in Great Britain. Smaller increases in the pension credit caseload were seen in Lancashire-12 (2.3%) and Lancashire-14 (2.0%). All local authorities in Lancashire-14 had an increase in the caseload compared to the previous year. The largest annual increase in caseload was recorded in Ribble Valley (5.8%), while Blackpool (0.4%) and West Lancashire (0.6%) had the lowest increases. These figures show that the fall in in pension credit caseload seen over previous years has stabilised. The caseload had been generally on the decline since 2009, partly due to the increase in the state pension age for women.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) publishes quarterly data on the number of claimants of state pension and pension credit at the reference date. The state pension is claimed at an individual-level, while pension credit is claimed on a household basis. In the case of a couple, either may claim pension credit if both are of qualifying age, but only one partner can get pension credit at any one time.

State pension

The state pension provides an income for people who have reached state pension age. The amount of state pension depends on a person's National Insurance contributions. Entitlement to the state pension is built up through 'qualifying years'. A qualifying year is one in which a person has paid, been treated as having paid, or been credited with, enough National Insurance contributions for it to count.

The state pension changed on 6 April 2016, with the previous state pension referred to as the 'old' (or 'old rules') state pension and the current benefit referred to as the 'new' state pension.

The 'old' state pension refers to the system in place for people who reached state pension age before 6 April 2016. This includes men born before 6 April 1951 and women born before 6 April 1953. The 'old' state pension includes two benefits: the basic state pension (with 30 ‘qualifying years’ needed, reduced in April 2010 from 44 years for Men and 39 years for women, for the full amount) and the additional state pension (which depended on the earnings or deemed earnings during a person's working life since 1978, with entitlement built through the state earnings related pension scheme (SERPS) between 1978 and 2002, and from the state second pension (S2P) from 2002 onwards).

The 'new' state pension refers to the system in place for people who reached state pension age after 6 April 2016. This includes men born on or after 6 April 1951 and women born on or after 6 April 1953. The 'new' state pension includes only the single benefit, referred to as the new state pension, with 35 'qualifying years' needed for the full amount. There is a detailed explanation of new state pension on the Gov.uk website, aimed mostly at those who do receive, or will soon be receiving, the benefit.

As of April 2025, the full rates of state pension are £176.45 a week for the basic state pension and £230.25 a week for the new state pension. Since April 2011, both types of state pension increase each year by a rate determined by whichever is the highest: average percentage growth in wages in Great Britain, inflation in prices in the UK (measured by the Consumer Prices Index), or 2.5%.

Pension credit

Pension credit is a means-tested benefit for pensioners who have a low-income in Great Britain. The benefit has two parts: guarantee credit and savings credit. Pensioners may be eligible for one or both of these.

Guarantee credit is designed to top-up weekly income to a guaranteed minimum level. Some pensioners may still be eligible if their income is above the guaranteed minimum level if they have a disability, care for someone, or have housing costs.

Savings credit is extra money for pensioners who have some savings or have an income that is higher than the basic state pension. It's available to people who reached state pension age before 6 April 2016.

Pension credit is claimed on a household basis. In the case of a couple, either may claim if both are of qualifying age, but only one partner can get pension credit at any one time. The terms 'pension credit caseload' and 'pension credit claimants' therefore refer to the number of claimants at the household level, not including the partners of claimants. Mixed-age couples (meaning only one of person is over state pension age) normally claim universal credit until both have reached state pension age before claiming pension credit as a couple.

The age from which people can get pension credit is the same as state pension age.

State pension age

From December 2018, the state pension age for both men and women increased to reach 66 by April 2020, then will rise again to reach 67 by April 2028, following an eight-year period (2010-2018) in which the female state pension age rose to match the state pension age for men. The state pension age is anticipated to rise from 67 to 68 between 2044 and 2046, though this increase and timescale is subject to review.

Page updated 13 August 2025