Unlike benefits for other age groups, benefits for older people are an issue for almost everyone in that age group: most of us are going to be seeking money from the state when we get older, even if it is just the state retirement pension.
The rules for older people are very different - and normally more generous - from those for middle aged and young people. They’re more generous in two ways:
- You get more money.
- You don’t have to prove that you are too ill too work, or are looking for work.
Because they’re different from benefits for other people, they are dealt with by a special part of the Department for Work and Pensions called the Pensions Service.
There is, however, one big question we need to think about first…
How old do I have to be to get older person's benefits?
This is not as easy to answer as you might think. Click on the question above, or here, for help with answering this for you.
When you have sorted this out, select one of the following options:
- 'Please tell me about state retirement pensions'
- 'Please tell me about Pension Credit'
- 'Is there anything else I can get?'