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State Pension Credit Act 2002

2002 c. 16 · Enacted 25 June 2002 · Extends to England, Wales and Scotland

Not fully up to date. 24 changes made by later legislation have not yet been written into this text, which is revised to 1 July 2026.

See the changes not yet applied
ProvisionChangeMade by
Sch. 2 para. 37(a)repealedWelfare Reform Act 2007 Sch. 8
Sch. 2 para. 9(5)(b)(ii)repealedWelfare Reform Act 2007 Sch. 8
Sch. 2 para. 16(3)repealedWelfare Reform Act 2007 Sch. 8
Sch. 2 para. 18(3)repealedWelfare Reform Act 2007 Sch. 8
Sch. 2 para. 24(2)repealedWelfare Reform Act 2007 Sch. 8
Sch. 2 para. 2repealedWelfare Reform Act 2009 Sch. 7 Pt. 1
s. 1(2)(b)word repealedWelfare Reform Act 2012 s. 75(a)
s. 1(2)(d) and wordinsertedWelfare Reform Act 2012 s. 75(b)
s. 12(2)(b)words insertedWelfare Reform Act 2012 Sch. 4 para. 6
s. 15(1)(b)repealedWelfare Reform Act 2012 Sch. 14 Pt. 1
s. 17(1)words insertedWelfare Reform Act 2012 s. 74(3)
s. 17(1)words insertedWelfare Reform Act 2012 Sch. 4 para. 7
s. 17(1)words repealedWelfare Reform Act 2012 Sch. 14 Pt. 1
s. 18A(7)(c) and wordrepealedWelfare Reform Act 2012 Sch. 14 Pt. 1
s. 19(2)(za)insertedWelfare Reform Act 2012 s. 75(2)
Sch. 2 para. 9(5)(a)repealedWelfare Reform Act 2012 Sch. 4 para. 8
Sch. 2 para. 2-4repealedWelfare Reform Act 2012 Sch. 14 Pt. 1
s. 2(8)(a) (b)substitutedWelfare Reform Act 2012 s. 74(2)
Sch. 2 para. 49repealedWelfare Reform Act 2012 Sch. 14 Pt. 12
s. 1(2)(c)(iii) and wordinsertedWelfare Reform Act 2012 Sch. 4 para. 2
s. 1(3)(c) and wordinsertedWelfare Reform Act 2012 Sch. 4 para. 3(a)
s. 1(3)words substitutedWelfare Reform Act 2012 Sch. 4 para. 3(b)
s. 3AinsertedWelfare Reform Act 2012 Sch. 4 para. 4
s. 7(10)insertedWelfare Reform Act 2012 Sch. 4 para. 5

An Act to make provision for and in connection with a new social security benefit called state pension credit; and to amend section 47(1) of the Pension Schemes Act 1993.

[25th June 2002]

Be it enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—C1C2C3C4C5C6C7C8C9

Annotations to the whole text

Modifications

C1

Act applied (with modifications) (27.7.2010) by The State Pension Credit Pilot Scheme Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/1925), reg. 3, Sch.

C2

Act modified (coming into force in accordance with art. 1 of the amending S.I.) by The Social Security (Ireland) Order 2019 (S.I. 2019/622), art. 2; 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)

C3

Act modified (coming into force in accordance with art. 1 of the amending S.I.) by The Social Security (Iceland) (Liechtenstein) (Norway) (Citizens' Rights Agreement) Order 2019 (S.I. 2019/1302), art. 2; 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)

C4

Act modified (coming into force in accordance with art. 1 of the amending S.I.) by The Social Security (Switzerland) (Citizens' Rights Agreement) Order 2019 (S.I. 2019/1303), art. 2; 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)

C5

Act modified (1.1.2021) by The Social Security (Norway) Order 2020 (S.I. 2020/1597), arts. 1, 2(1)(2), Sch. (with art. 2(3))

C6

Act modified (coming into force in accordance with art. 1 of the amending S.I.) by The Social Security (Switzerland) Order 2021 (S.I. 2021/1088), art. 2(1)-(3), Sch.

C7

Act modified (coming into force in accordance with art. 1(3) of the amending S.I.) by The Social Security (Iceland) (Liechtenstein) (Norway) Order 2023 (S.I. 2023/1060), art. 2, Sch.

C8

Act modified (coming into force in accordance with art. 1(3) of the amending S.I.) by The Social Security (Gibraltar) Order 2024 (S.I. 2024/149), art. 2

C9

Act modified (S.) (coming into force in accordance with art. 1(3) of the amending S.S.I.) by The Social Security (Gibraltar) (Iceland) (Liechtenstein) (Norway) (Further provision in respect of Scotland) Order 2024 (S.S.I. 2024/62), art. 2

Contents

  1. State pension credit: entitlement and amount
  2. 1Entitlement
  3. 2Guarantee credit
  4. 3Savings credit
  5. 3ZAPower to limit savings credit for certain mixed-age couples
  6. 4Exclusions
  7. Aggregation
  8. 5Income and capital of claimant, spouse etc
  9. Retirement provision
  10. 6Duty to specify assessed income period for pre-6 April 2016 awards
  11. 7Fixing of claimant’s retirement provision for assessed income period
  12. 8Fresh determinations increasing claimant’s entitlement
  13. 9Duration of assessed income period
  14. 10Effect of variations under section 7(4)
  15. Miscellaneous and supplementary
  16. 11Administration
  17. 12Polygamous marriages
  18. 13Transitional provisions
  19. 14Minor and consequential amendments
  20. Interpretation of state pension credit provisions
  21. 15Income and capital
  22. 16Retirement pension income
  23. 17Other interpretation provisions
  24. Effect of guaranteed minimum pension on social security benefits
  25. 18Equal treatment for widows and widowers
  26. Final provisions
  27. 18APilot schemes
  28. 19Regulations and orders
  29. 20Financial provisions
  30. 21Enactments repealed
  31. 22Short title, commencement and extent
  32. Schedule 1: Administration
  33. Part 1: Amendments of the Administration Act
  34. 1Introductory
  35. 2Entitlement dependent on making of claim etc
  36. 3Power by regulations to make rules relating to claims, time limits, evidence etc
  37. Part 2: Amendments of the Social Security Act 1998
  38. 4Introductory
  39. 5Use of computers
  40. 6Decisions by Secretary of State
  41. 7Regulations with respect to decisions
  42. 8Suspension of benefit for failure to furnish information etc
  43. 9Restrictions on entitlement to benefit in cases of error: definitions
  44. 10Correction of errors and setting aside of decisions
  45. 11Decisions against which no appeal lies
  46. 12Decisions against which appeal lies
  47. Part 3: Miscellaneous and supplementary
  48. 13Amount payable for periods of less than a week
  49. Schedule 2: Minor and consequential amendments
  50. Part 1: Amendments of the Contributions and Benefits Act
  51. 1Introductory
  52. 2Income support
  53. 3Effect of attaining qualifying age for state pension credit
  54. 4Interpretation of Part 7 and supplementary provisions
  55. 5Entitlement of pensioners to Christmas bonus
  56. 6Entitlement to Christmas bonus: supplementary
  57. 7Interpretation of provisions relating to Christmas bonus
  58. Part 2: Amendments of the Administration Act
  59. 8Introductory
  60. 9Payment out of benefit of sums in respect of mortgage interest etc Repealed
  61. 10Overpayments of benefit: general
  62. 11Adjustment of income support and other payments
  63. 12Interpretation of Part 6: enforcement
  64. 13Provisions relating to age, death or marriage
  65. 14Regulations as to notification of death
  66. 15Provision of information by personal representatives as to estate of deceased person
  67. 16Annual up-rating of benefits
  68. 17Effect of alterations affecting state pension credit
  69. 18Adjustments between National Insurance Fund and Consolidated Fund
  70. 19Adjustments between social fund and other sources of finance
  71. 20The Social Security Advisory Committee
  72. 21Reciprocal agreements with countries outside the United Kingdom
  73. 22Payment of travelling expenses by Secretary of State
  74. 23Certain benefits to be inalienable
  75. 24Interpretation: general
  76. Part 3: Amendments of other Acts
  77. 25Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980 Repealed
  78. 26Transport Act 1982
  79. 27Abolition of Domestic Rates Etc. (Scotland) Act 1987
  80. 28Paragraph 28 Repealed
  81. 29Local Government Finance Act 1988
  82. 30Children Act 1989
  83. 31Criminal Justice Act 1991
  84. 32Local Government Finance Act 1992
  85. 33Paragraph 33
  86. 34Paragraph 34
  87. 35Paragraph 35
  88. 36Jobseekers Act 1995
  89. 37Paragraph 37
  90. 38Paragraph 38
  91. 39Pensions Act 1995
  92. 40Social Security Act 1998
  93. 41Paragraph 41
  94. 42Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 Repealed
  95. 43Local Government Act 2000
  96. 44Social Security Fraud Act 2001
  97. 45Paragraph 45
  98. 46Paragraph 46
  99. 47Paragraph 47
  100. 48Paragraph 48
  101. 49Paragraph 49
  102. Schedule 3Enactments repealed