Selected Pension Credit claimants are being contacted as DWP checks whether awards remain correct. Here is who may be affected, how savings are treated and what to do if you receive a review request

The Department for Work and Pensions has started contacting selected Pension Credit claimants as part of a programme designed to identify awards that may no longer be correct.

Some people whose claims are reviewed may be asked for additional evidence, including recent bank statements. DWP has also stressed that being selected for a review does not mean a claimant has done anything wrong, according to The Independent’s report on the current Pension Credit reviews.

The measure took effect from April 2026 and covers reviews of Pension Credit claims considered at risk of being incorrect. Government plans provide for the measure to run until April 2029.

What is the new DWP Pension Credit review?

The programme is intended to check whether people receiving Pension Credit are still being paid the correct amount.

A person’s circumstances can change after an award is made. Income, savings and investments can affect entitlement, while factors such as spending longer outside Great Britain than the rules allow can also affect a claim.

According to HM Treasury’s official Pension Credit review costing, the measure introduces reviews of claims considered at risk of being incorrect and assumes the work will be carried out by a dedicated Pension Credit review team.

The government’s figures show an expected positive Exchequer impact of £15 million in 2026/27, £85 million in 2027/28, £135 million in 2028/29, £75 million in 2029/30 and £60 million in 2030/31.

Together, those figures amount to £370 million over the five financial years.

That does not mean DWP has announced that a particular number of pensioners will lose Pension Credit. The outcome of an individual review depends on whether the claimant’s existing award remains correct.

Will every Pension Credit claimant be asked for bank statements?

No.

DWP’s current statement refers to selected customers and says only that some people undergoing a review may be asked for additional information such as recent bank statements.

There is therefore no requirement for every person receiving Pension Credit to send bank statements simply because the review programme is taking place.

If someone is selected, the information requested will depend on what DWP needs to establish about their individual claim.

Why might DWP want to check savings or bank statements?

Pension Credit is means-tested, so savings and other financial assets can affect the amount someone is entitled to receive.

The latest official DWP fraud and error statistics estimate that 33 in every 100 Pension Credit claims were overpaid in the financial year ending 2026, compared with 28 in every 100 the previous year.

The estimated value of Pension Credit overpayments was £620 million, equivalent to 10% of Pension Credit expenditure.

DWP says capital, meaning under-declared financial assets, and claimants remaining abroad for longer than permitted were the two main causes of Pension Credit overpayments. Together they accounted for more than half of the total amount overpaid.

Claimant errors relating to capital alone were estimated at £150 million in 2025/26.

It is important to distinguish an incorrect payment from deliberate fraud. DWP separately categorises overpayments resulting from fraud, claimant error and official error.

The same statistics also estimated £80 million in Pension Credit underpayments, affecting around four in every 100 claims.

Will Pension Credit stop if you have more than £10,000 in savings?

Not automatically.

The official Pension Credit eligibility rules say savings and investments totalling £10,000 or less do not affect Pension Credit.

If a claimant has more than £10,000, every £500, or part of £500, above that amount is treated as £1 of weekly income.

For example, if someone has £11,000 in savings, this counts as £2 a week of income when Pension Credit is calculated.

Having more than £10,000 therefore does not automatically end someone’s entitlement. Its effect depends on the claimant’s overall income, savings and personal circumstances.

Is this the same as DWP automatically checking people’s bank accounts?

No. These are different processes.

During an individual Pension Credit review, DWP may contact the claimant and ask that person to provide information or documents relevant to their entitlement.

Separately, DWP has powers to issue Eligibility Verification Notices, known as EVNs, to financial institutions for specified benefits including Pension Credit.

Under that system, financial institutions can be required to identify accounts that meet specified eligibility indicators and provide certain permitted account information.

However, there are important limits.

The official Eligibility Verification Notice code of practice says an EVN cannot be used to request information about named claimants. It also prevents DWP from requiring financial statements or transaction information through an EVN.

That means a claimant being contacted during an individual Pension Credit review and asked to provide recent bank statements is not the same as DWP automatically receiving that person’s full transaction history from their bank.

Does being selected mean DWP suspects you of fraud?

No.

DWP has specifically said that being selected for the review does not mean the customer has done anything wrong.

An award can become incorrect for several reasons, including a change in circumstances, a claimant mistake or an error made by the department.

The purpose of a review is to establish whether the amount currently being paid matches the claimant’s entitlement.

Could a Pension Credit review find an underpayment?

Potentially, yes.

Although the programme is expected overall to reduce government spending by identifying and preventing overpayments, HM Treasury’s official costing takes account of underpayments identified through the review service.

DWP’s wider statistics also estimate that £80 million of Pension Credit was underpaid in the financial year ending 2026, affecting around four in every 100 claims.

That does not mean someone’s payment will increase simply because their claim is reviewed. It means the purpose of checking a claim is to establish the correct entitlement rather than automatically reducing every award.

What should you do if DWP asks for information?

If DWP contacts you about a Pension Credit review, read the correspondence carefully and follow the instructions for providing any information requested.

General GOV.UK guidance on Fraud and Error Prevention Service claim reviews says Pension Credit claimants can be asked for information about their income and savings. It also says claimants will be told when and how they need to provide the information.

The guidance warns that benefit payments may be stopped if required information is not provided in time.

This is general guidance for Fraud and Error Prevention Service claim reviews. It should not be interpreted as meaning that every claimant selected for the new Pension Credit review campaign will automatically lose their benefit because of one missed call or letter.

If you cannot provide something requested or do not understand what DWP needs, contact the department using the details provided in genuine correspondence.

How can you check whether a DWP review request is genuine?

People receiving requests for financial information should be alert to scams.

For general Fraud and Error Prevention Service reviews, GOV.UK says genuine letters and forms will carry a Jobcentre Plus or DWP logo.

Pension Credit claimants who are unsure whether contact is genuine can contact the Pension Service to check whether a Fraud and Error Prevention Service centre is reviewing their claim.

The same guidance says a claimant may be asked for the name of the bank into which their benefit is paid as a security question. It says they will not be asked for their bank account number or sort code during that type of review phone call.

The key point for Pension Credit recipients is that the new review programme does not mean every claimant will be asked for bank statements or have their payment reduced. DWP is contacting selected claimants to check whether existing awards remain correct, while the normal Pension Credit rules on income and savings continue to apply.