Thousands of pensioners not claiming 'vital' cash top-ups

Published on Saturday 4 August 2007 12:34

MORE than 12,000 vulnerable pensioners in Edinburgh are not claiming vital government cash they are entitled to, it has emerged.

Latest figures show that 42 per cent of the city's elderly aren't benefiting from the pension credit scheme - a project to ensure everyone aged over 60 receives at least 119 per week to live on.

The statistics were obtained over a series of parliamentary questions by Edinburgh West MP John Barrett, although opinions vary on why such a significant amount of the city's elderly don't claim. Mr Barrett said complex application forms were putting people off, although this has been rejected by both the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) and charities for the elderly who say some simply don't want extra help.

The figures are estimated by dividing the city's proportion of eligible pensioners from the national figure. That leaves around 30,000 elderly people who qualify in the city, of which 17,510, or 58 per cent, claim.

A spokesman for Mr Barrett said the estimated national uptake of pension credit was between 25 and 30 per cent.

The Lib Dem MP said: "It is unacceptable that over 12,000 pensioners in the Capital are still not getting the vital financial help they deserve. The Government has had over three years to get the message across about the pension credit scheme and yet the take-up rate is still shockingly low.

"Part of the problem is the eye-watering complexity that is at the heart of the benefits system. Not only is it a struggle to understand the complicated forms, but many pensioners are still refusing to suffer the indignity of means testing and are instead simply going without the help they are entitled to."

The pension credit system was introduced in 2003 to replace the maximum income guarantee. It tops up pensioners' weekly income if their state pension, any previous employment pension or savings do not total 119 a week, or 181 for a married couple.

However, the DWP argues claiming is straightforward, though it accepts tallying up people's income can be difficult.

Ann Ferguson, spokeswoman for Age Concern, acknowledged the process of claiming the credits had become easier.

She said: "It is a high number who don't claim and I wouldn't quibble with those figures.

"The DWP has done alot to promote this, even to the extent of finding people and actually asking them if they want it.

"Some elderly people simply don't want to claim because they don't like the idea of telling people their business."

A spokeswoman for the Department for Work and Pensions said: "Across the UK, around 3.3 million individuals are receiving pension credit. Since pension credit was introduced in 2003 more than 700,000 pensioners have been lifted out of poverty.

Pensioners on low incomes who think they may be eligible for pension credit are urged to call free on 0800 99 1234."