Charity warns one million pensioners missing pension credit
Independent Age warns over a million pensioners miss pension credit and other benefits, urging government action.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
A charity has warned that around one million pensioners are missing out on pension credit and other benefits they are entitled to, as new figures expose the scale of unclaimed support. Independent Age is calling for a more strategic approach from the government to ensure older people on low incomes receive what they are owed.
The warning comes after a report highlighted that more than one million people are missing out on pension credit worth a total of £2.5 billion. In addition, nearly a quarter of a million households are not receiving housing benefit they are entitled to, worth more than £1 billion.
Independent Age said the real-world impact of unclaimed benefits is severe. The charity spoke of pensioners who stop using warm water, avoid turning on their cookers, and live in constant anxiety about money. It described the situation as "outrageous" and demanded immediate action.
The human cost was illustrated by the experience of Valerie, a retired woman on the Isle of Wight. After a lifetime of work, she was left with only a few hundred pounds a month after rent. She survived on £7 a week of food from Iceland, relied on credit cards, and never put on her heating because the house was all electric. With help from Independent Age, she was able to claim housing benefit and a council tax reduction, giving her a few hundred pounds extra each month.
The government says its take-up campaign has led to an extra 33,000 people now claiming pension credit. It added that it is working on new ways to increase the uptake of both housing benefit and pension credit.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC One |
|---|---|
| Nearly 250,000 households are not receiving housing benefit they are entitled to, worth over £1 billion. | |
| Over one million people are missing out on pension credit worth £2.5 billion. | |
| The government reported that an extra 33,000 people are now claiming pension credit due to its take-up campaign. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The report focuses on the human impact of unclaimed benefits, using Valerie's personal story to illustrate the struggle. It gives prominence to Independent Age's call for a more strategic government approach, and includes a brief response from the government about recent take-up figures.
- “The numbers of older people missing out on the money they're entitled to, whether that be through pension credit, housing benefit, council tax reduction, is incredibly depressing.”
- “so not receiving money they're entitled to really feels outrageous and we need action on this as soon as possible.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.