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Stretch My Pension
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Scam tip: Report it, even if you didn't lose money. Reporting a scam call helps stop others being caught. And if you did lose money, tell your bank straight away.

Is this call a scam?

Money you might be missing

Every year, a lot of help meant for pensioners goes unclaimed. Pick where you live to see what's worth checking.

We have detailed guides for the UK, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland. Wherever you live, most governments offer pension top-ups for people on a low income, help with heating and energy bills, cheaper medicines, discounted transport, and lower local taxes for older people. Your local council, pension office or a free advice service can tell you what's available.

Watch out: real benefits are free to apply for. Nobody genuine will phone or text you offering a payment, a rebate or help to claim in exchange for a fee or your bank details. If that happens, hang up.

Why so much help goes unclaimed

Governments set aside money to help older people with low incomes, heating costs, health costs and housing, but much of it is never paid out. People often assume they won't qualify, find the forms off-putting, or feel uncomfortable asking. Some simply never hear about it.

Claiming what you're entitled to isn't charity. It's support you've paid for through a lifetime of work and taxes. And the amounts can be life-changing: a weekly top-up, plus the extras it unlocks, can be worth thousands a year.

The kinds of help to look for

  • Pension top-ups for people whose income is below a set level.
  • Heating and energy help: winter payments, discounts on bills and grants for insulation.
  • Help with housing costs: rent, local or property taxes, and sometimes mortgage interest.
  • Health costs: cheaper or free prescriptions, dental care, glasses and help with insurance premiums.
  • Disability and care payments if you need help looking after yourself. These are often not means-tested.
  • Travel and everyday discounts: free or cheaper public transport, and concession cards for shops and services.

Getting started

  1. Gather your pension letters, bank statements and recent bills, so you have your income and costs to hand.
  2. Use the free check for your country above. It takes 10 to 20 minutes.
  3. Apply for anything it suggests, online, by phone or with help from an advice service.
  4. Once your income changes, update your weekly budget to see the difference.

If you're helping a parent or older friend, sitting down together to do a benefits check is one of the most useful things you can do.

Watch out for benefit scams

Scammers know that older people are owed money, and pretend to be government departments offering "rebates", "cost of living payments" or "winter fuel payments" that need your bank details to be released. Real payments don't work that way. Official departments will not text you a link to claim, and will never ask for a PIN or password. Always go to the official website yourself, or call the number on an official letter. If a call or text seems wrong, check it with our scam call checker.

Questions people ask

›Is it worth checking if I own my home or have some savings?

Yes. Many kinds of help look only at income, or allow a fair amount of savings, and some, such as disability payments for older people, aren't means-tested at all. A free benefits check takes a few minutes.

›Will claiming one thing affect my other payments?

Sometimes claiming one benefit actually unlocks others, such as help with rent, local taxes or energy bills. If you're unsure, a free advice service can check for you before you apply.

›Does it cost anything to apply?

No. Government benefits are free to apply for. Anyone who charges a fee to 'unlock' a payment, or contacts you out of the blue offering one, is likely a scammer.

›Can someone help me fill in the forms?

Yes. Charities for older people, citizens advice services and local councils often help with forms for free, by phone or in person.