Campaigners say the figures expose a serious failure within the system
BBC licence price: Martin Lewis outlines pension credit score eligibility
Almost 500,000 older girls are lacking out on a key profit value 1000’s of kilos a 12 months, new evaluation warns. Analysis by Age UK discovered that round 470,000 single girls pensioners usually are not claiming the profit although they’re entitled to it.
Pension Credit score can high up incomes and unlock further assist value a mean £2,600 a 12 months, doubtlessly reworking the funds of many struggling retirees. The warning comes because the charity reveals that 1.1 million girls pensioners reside in poverty. This determine has remained stubbornly excessive although the variety of feminine pensioners has fallen by 740,000 since 2010-11 because of will increase to the State Pension age.
Campaigners say the figures expose a serious failure within the system, which leaves among the most susceptible older girls with out the help they’re legally entitled to obtain. Almost two in 5 pensioner households eligible for Pension Credit score – round 38% – are lacking out, in line with official figures.
That equates to round a million pensioners failing to assert, with the overall quantity of unclaimed help now estimated at £2.1 billion a 12 months. The common quantity pensioners are lacking out on has additionally risen sharply from £37 to £50 every week, the charity mentioned.
Pension Credit score does greater than merely increase revenue. Efficiently claiming it may possibly additionally act as a gateway to further assist, together with council tax reductions, assist with vitality payments and a free TV licence for over-75s.
Campaigners say the figures expose a serious failure within the system (Picture: Getty) Private finance information, cash saving suggestions and recommendation plus selcted presents and competitions Subscribe Invalid electronic mail
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Regardless of its significance, the newest evaluation by the Division for Work and Pensions discovered take-up of the profit has truly fallen in the latest 12 months. Forward of Mom’s Day, Age UK is urging households to examine whether or not older feminine relations could possibly be eligible.
Caroline Abrahams CBE, Charity Director at Age UK, mentioned: “As Mom’s Day approaches, and with the Center East battle doubtlessly threatening greater costs for vitality and different necessities additional down the observe, there’ll by no means be a greater time for older girls to examine whether or not they’re lacking out on monetary entitlements that might ease their anxieties about making ends meet.”
She added: “At Age UK we’re happy with the thousands and thousands in Pension Credit score and different advantages which we assist older individuals to assert every month, but it surely shouldn’t be right down to us to make sure they get their due. We urge the Authorities to maintain working at reforming the system, with the purpose of reaching a place during which older individuals can get the assistance they want with out having to leap by hoops and put in a declare.”
The charity mentioned girls’s retirement incomes are sometimes decrease than males’s as a result of they’re extra more likely to have frolicked out of the labour market, labored part-time or taken on caring tasks throughout their lives. It warned that many older girls are reluctant to hunt assist, that means they could possibly be struggling unnecessarily.
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Ms Abrahams mentioned: “Many older girls are intensely self-reliant, reluctant to ask for assist, and aware that there are others who could also be worse off than they’re. That’s why some light prompting to look into their eligibility for Pension Credit score from these they belief is so necessary.”
She added: “Within the face of the newest worrying figures displaying Pension Credit score take up happening fairly than up, the Authorities should additionally clearly do extra to boost public consciousness and help older males and older girls who could also be eligible to assert. There may be completely no room for complacency.”
Age UK says pensioners ought to examine whether or not they’re eligible for Pension Credit score, apply early, as much as 4 months earlier than reaching State Pension age. They need to additionally encourage buddies and relations to examine too.
The charity’s personal advisers say the distinction might be dramatic. In January 2026, its advantages staff accomplished 538 entitlement checks, discovering that 66% of older individuals had been eligible for added help.
On common they uncovered £6,593 a 12 months in potential further revenue per particular person, with a complete £3.2 million in advantages recognized in only one month. Anybody frightened about their funds can contact Age UK’s recommendation line on 0800 169 6565 or examine eligibility on-line.
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