From 15 May 2019 changes to law means mixed age couples where 1 is over pension age and 1 is under pension age, are no longer be able to choose to claim Pension Credit and Housing Benefit, they will instead have to make a claim for Universal Credit.
However, claims can be backdated for up to 3 months. So people can still start to receive these benefits if they meet the entitlement conditions on 14 May 2019 and make a claim by 13 August 2019.
Why is this this change important?
Mixed age couples already getting Pension Credit or pension-age Housing Benefit won't be affected while they remain entitled to either benefit. They will be able to remain on Pension Credit or Housing Benefit unless they have a change in circumstances affecting their claim. This could be for example because one of them takes on a part time temporary job which ends their entitlement to Pension Credit. If the job then ends, they will not be able to go back onto Pension Credit.