Three-quarters of pensioners miss out on £1,300 payment they don’t know they’re entitled to
Thousands of pensioners failing to claim benefits they are entitled to
- Thousands of pensioners are failing to claim benefits they are entitled to, with up to three-quarters of eligible individuals missing out on an average of £1,339 annually.
- A report by retirement specialists Just Group indicates that 42 per cent of pensioner homeowners are eligible for at least one government payout, yet 74 per cent of these are not claiming.
- A significant reason for the low uptake is a lack of awareness among pensioners about the available benefits, which include guaranteed pension credit, council tax reductions, and universal credit.
- For instance, fewer than one in four eligible pensioners are claiming council tax reductions, despite the average new claim being over £1,000 per year.
- The report highlights that some pensioners who do claim are still receiving too little, missing out on an additional average of £1,162 annually, underscoring the need for better support and guidance.