Pension credit processing delays peaked at 87 working days

Pension credit processing times reached a peak of 87 working days in December 2024, according to DWP data reported by Which? on 2 September 2025¹. The number of outstanding claims peaked at 85,600 in the same month¹.

The backlog has since fallen. The number of outstanding claims has been reduced by 86%, from the December 2024 peak of 85,600 to 12,100 as of August, and the current processing time is around 50 working days¹. Applications between July 2024 and July 2025 rose by 44% to 344,700, while rejected claims climbed 88% to 163,500¹. Since the start of the financial year, applications have fallen 16%, yet failed claims have still edged higher, up 2%¹. Which? reports that the surge followed the government's decision to link pension credit to Winter Fuel Payment eligibility, a move it later reversed¹.

Pension credit is a benefit for people who have reached state pension age, currently 66¹. It tops up weekly income to at least £198.27 for a single person, or £314.34 for a couple¹. It has two parts: guarantee credit, which brings weekly income up to the minimum level, and savings credit, an extra payment of up to £17.30 a week for a single person or £19.36 for a couple, available to those who reached state pension age before April 2016 and put money aside for retirement¹.

Claimants must have reached state pension age, live in England, Scotland or Wales, and have an income below the threshold set for a single person or a couple¹. There is a separate system for Northern Ireland¹. Applications can be made up to four months before a birthday, but no earlier¹. Since May 2019, couples where one partner is over state pension age and the other is not cannot make a new claim for pension credit; they must apply for Universal Credit until both reach 66, which Which? says is usually worth far less¹. There is no savings cap, but anything over £10,000 is treated as income: for every £500 above that amount, £1 a week is added¹. For every £1 of income above the savings credit threshold, savings credit is reduced by 40p¹. The pension credit form runs to more than 20 pages and 240 questions¹.

Why it matters for households

The figures cover people at or approaching state pension age in England, Scotland and Wales who claim, or try to claim, pension credit. At the December 2024 peak, a claim took 87 working days to process; the reported current figure is around 50 working days¹. The outstanding caseload stood at 12,100 as of August, down from 85,600¹.

Rejections have risen faster than applications over the year to July 2025: applications were up 44% and rejected claims up 88%¹. Which? lists common reasons for refusal, including applying too early, being part of a mixed age couple, having too much income or savings, submitting an incomplete or incorrect application, and living abroad permanently¹. Pension credit is described as a gateway benefit, because claiming it can also open access to help with housing costs, a free TV licence for the over 75s, free NHS dental treatment and glasses, and Winter Fuel Payment and Cold Weather Payment¹. Around 2.2 million households are eligible, but it is thought around 760,000 do not claim¹.

What happens next

No further DWP processing times or caseload figures beyond August have been reported¹. Where a claim is rejected, a written statement of reasons can be requested from the DWP, followed by a free mandatory reconsideration, and then an appeal to an independent tribunal¹. There is normally one month to challenge a decision, though a late request can sometimes be accepted for a good reason such as illness or bereavement¹.