Accessibility statement for Apply for Pension Credit

This service is part of the wider GOV.UK website. There’s a separate accessibility statement for the main GOV.UK website.

This page only contains information about the Apply for Pension Credit service, available at https://apply-for-pension-credit.service.gov.uk/

Using this service

This service is run by the Department for Work and Pensions. We want as many people as possible to be able to use this service. For example, that means you should be able to:

  • change colours, contrast levels and fonts
  • zoom in up to 300% without the text spilling off the screen
  • get from the start of the service to the end using just a keyboard
  • get from the start of the service to the end using speech recognition software
  • listen to the service using a screen reader

We’ve also made the text in the service as simple as possible to understand.

AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.

How accessible this service is

When using a screenreader to navigate a PDF copy of the check your answers page, some of the headers, questions and answers are not always grouped correctly. We are working to understand the reasons for this and will commit to a date for fixing it once we know the cause. You will experience fewer issues using a dedicated PDF viewer, rather than a browser.

The service uses common styles, patterns and components from the GOV.UK Design System which are widely regarded as accessible.

This site was manually tested using JAWS, Zoomtext and Dragon.

We know some parts of this service are not fully accessible. The issues we know about from manual testing are that:

  • users of JAWS 18 or 19 and Zoomtext may find that some headings are not read out when using Internet Explorer 11. This is a known issue with Freedom Scientific software. You should be able to resolve this issue by using a different browser.
  • when moving the focus around the page using Zoomtext, the focus is only shown for a second then disappears.
  • when using the speakit tool in Zoomtext, sometimes the first word of headers is read out twice.

These are known issues that are being worked on in issue 1605 of the GOV.UK design system backlog and issue 549 of the FreedomScientific backlog.

What to do if you have difficulty using this service

If you have difficulty making a Pension Credit application, you can contact us for help applying online or to make an application over the phone:

If you live in England, Scotland or Wales

Telephone
0800 99 1234
Textphone
0800 169 0133

If you cannot hear or speak on the phone, use
Relay UK (opens in a new tab): 18001 then 0800 99 1234

Video relay service (opens in a new tab) for British Sign Language (BSL) users - check you can use this service (opens in a new tab)

Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 6pm (closed on bank holidays).
Find out about call charges

If you live in Northern Ireland

Telephone
0800 587 0892
Textphone
0808 100 2198

British Sign Language (BSL) users can contact the Department for Communities using the video relay service (opens in a new tab).

Irish Sign Language (ISL) users can contact the Department for Communities using the video relay service (opens in a new tab).

Check how to use the video relay service in BSL (opens in a new tab).

Check how to use the video relay service in ISL (opens in a new tab).

Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm (closed on public holidays).
Contacting 08 and 03 numbers.

As part of providing this service, we may need to send you messages or documents. We’ll ask you how you want us to send messages or documents to you, but contact us if you need them in a different format. For example large print, audio recording or braille.

Reporting accessibility problems with this service

We’re always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. If you find any problems that are not listed on this page, or think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, you can report an accessibility problem (opens in a new tab).

Enforcement procedure

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 (the ‘accessibility regulations’). If you’re not happy with how we respond to your complaint, contact the:

Contacting us by phone or visiting us in person

We provide a text relay service for people who are deaf, hearing impaired or have a speech impediment.

Our offices have audio induction loops, or if you contact us before your visit we can arrange a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter to help you complete the service in person.

Find out how to contact us.

Technical information about this service’s accessibility

The Department for Work and Pensions is committed to making this service accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.

Compliance status

This service is fully compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 AA standard.

How we tested this service

The service was last tested on 4 September 2020 and was checked for compliance with WCAG 2.1 AA. The tests were carried out by the Department for Work and Pensions.

The service was tested using both automated and manual testing.

What we’re doing to improve accessibility

We will continue to iterate the design of the service, with accessibility considerations built into the lifecycle of each release.

Preparation of this statement

This page was prepared on 4 May 2020. It was last reviewed on 3 August 2023.

This website was last tested on 4 September 2020. The testing was carried out by the Department for Work and Pensions.

We tested a sample of pages that represents the implementation of each type of design pattern and interaction used in the service.