The PC1 Pension Credit application form is the DWP’s paper claim for Pension Credit, the means-tested top-up for people over State Pension age. You complete it in black ink and capital letters (or type into the interactive PDF), attach any supporting documents the form asks for, and post it free of charge to Freepost DWP Pensions Service 3. The sections below take you through getting the form, filling in each part, and what happens after you send it.
Getting Hold of the Form
There are two ways to get a PC1. You can download the interactive PDF from GOV.UK and either type into the fields on a computer or print it out and write by hand. Or you can call the Pension Credit claim line on 0800 99 1234 and ask for a copy to be posted to you.1GOV.UK. Pension Credit – How to Claim
If you fill the form in by hand, the first page tells you to use black ink and capital letters throughout. Handwriting that is hard to read is one of the easier ways to hold up a claim, so it is worth taking the instruction seriously.2Department for Work and Pensions. UK Pension Credit Claim Form PC1
A companion booklet called PC1 Notes, also on GOV.UK, explains each question in detail. Keep it beside you as you work through the form.3GOV.UK. PC1 Pension Credit Claim Form Notes
What to Have Ready Before You Start
Gather everything below before you pick up a pen. Missing information is the most common reason claims stall, and the DWP’s target clearance time is already around 50 working days.4TheyWorkForYou. Pension Credit Applications – 11 Feb 2025
- Your National Insurance number, and your partner’s if you have one.
- Bank and building society details for every account held by you or your partner: account numbers, sort codes, and current balances. The DWP uses these both to assess your capital and to set up payments.
- Pension statements for any State Pension, workplace pension, personal pension, or annuity, showing the gross amount before tax.
- Proof of any other income: payslips from part-time work, rental income records, or regular payments from a trust or from abroad.
- Current values of premium bonds, shares, ISAs, unit trusts, and any other investments. You will list each one separately.
- Housing costs: ground rent, service charges, or mortgage interest.
- The estimated value of any property or land, in the UK or abroad, that you or your partner own other than your main home.
A “partner” for the form’s purposes means someone you are married to, in a civil partnership with, or living with as though you were. Their income and savings are assessed jointly with yours whether or not they have reached State Pension age.
Working Through the PC1 Section by Section
The form is divided into around fifteen parts. They follow a logical order, moving from who you are to what you have coming in.
Personal Details and Your Partner
The first two parts collect your name, date of birth, address, and National Insurance number, then the same for your partner. Complete both sides fully if you live with a partner. Gaps here cause queries later.
Children and Housing
A short section covers any children or qualifying young people you want included in the claim. The housing part then asks how you live (owner, tenant, or in someone else’s home) and about ground rent, service charges, or mortgage interest. These costs can increase your award, so leave nothing out.
Money, Savings, and Investments
You declare the total across all bank, building society, and post office accounts held by you and your partner, followed by separate figures for premium bonds, shares, ISAs, unit trusts, and other investments. The form also asks whether you own property or land, in the UK or abroad, apart from your home.
Declare the full amount you hold, even though only capital above £10,000 affects your award. Above that threshold, every £500 or part of £500 counts as £1 of assumed weekly income; there is no upper limit that automatically disqualifies you.5GOV.UK. Pension Credit – Eligibility
Benefits, Pensions, Work, and Other Income
Four consecutive sections cover income. The benefits section asks whether anyone receives Carer’s Allowance for looking after you or your partner. The pensions section wants details of every pension in payment, including the gross amount and how often it is paid. The work section covers current employment or recent self-employment. A final catch-all section picks up rental income, regular trust payments, or money received from abroad.
Enter every figure as the gross amount before tax, matching what appears on your statement or payslip. If a figure is not obvious, the PC1 Notes booklet spells out what counts and what does not for each type of income.
Right to Reside
Near the end of the form you are asked about your right to reside in the UK, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, or the Republic of Ireland. Non-UK nationals may need to send additional evidence with the form.
The Date You Want the Claim to Start
The section headed “When you want to apply from” is where you set your start date. You can enter a date up to three months before the day you fill the form in, and if you were eligible during that earlier period the DWP will pay you for it. You do not need to give a reason. If you want the full three months of backdating, put that date here rather than leaving the box blank.
Payment Details and Declaration
Enter the bank or building society account you want Pension Credit paid into. Then sign and date the declaration confirming that everything on the form is correct. An unsigned form cannot be processed.
Sending the Form In
Post the signed form to:
Freepost DWP Pensions Service 3
Write nothing else on the envelope. No postcode, no stamp.1GOV.UK. Pension Credit – How to Claim
Before you seal the envelope, check the “What to do now” list at the end of the form. It tells you which supporting documents to enclose, such as pension statements or proof of housing costs. Take the envelope to a post office counter and ask for a free certificate of posting. That receipt proves the date you sent it if anything goes missing.
After You Send It
The DWP works to a target of 50 working days to clear a Pension Credit claim, and recent averages have been closer to 45 working days.4TheyWorkForYou. Pension Credit Applications – 11 Feb 2025 That is roughly nine to ten calendar weeks. The DWP may write or phone during that time to ask for clarification; a quick reply keeps things moving.
You then receive a decision letter. If the claim is approved, the letter sets out your weekly amount and when payments will start. If it is refused, the letter explains why and how to challenge the decision.
If You Disagree With the Decision
You have one month from the date of the decision letter to ask the DWP for a mandatory reconsideration. Put your request in writing and explain why you think the decision is wrong. A late request can still be accepted if you have a good reason for the delay, such as a hospital stay. If the reconsideration does not change the outcome, you can appeal to the Social Security and Child Support Tribunal.6GOV.UK. Challenge a Benefit Decision – Mandatory Reconsideration
Once Payments Start: Reporting Changes
Report any change of circumstances to the DWP straight away. Moving home, a partner moving in or out, starting or stopping work, and a new pension or lump sum all count.7GOV.UK. Pension Credit – Report a Change of Circumstances
If you are 75 or over and started receiving Pension Credit before 6 April 2016, you may have an Assessed Income Period. During that period you do not need to report changes to pensions, savings, or investments, but every other type of change still has to be reported.7GOV.UK. Pension Credit – Report a Change of Circumstances
An unreported change can lead to an overpayment, which the DWP will recover. Where an overpayment of £65.01 or more results from information given incorrectly or carelessly, the DWP can add a £50 civil penalty on top of the amount owed.8Turn2us. Civil Penalties for Benefit Overpayments Deliberate fraud is handled through prosecution rather than a civil penalty.