Campaign to boost benefits uptake

A campaign to encourage older people to claim the state benefits they are entitled to has said that almost £20 billion goes unclaimed in means-tested funding and tax credits each year.

The opportunity to boost retirement income during a climate of tightening finances and economic struggle should not be missed, according to Sun Life, which is running the campaign in conjunction with Citizens Advice.

Up to 1.6 million older people are not claiming an average of £34 in pension credit each week while almost three million households of all age groups are entitled to an average council tax benefit of £14 per week, which they are not taking up.

Citizens Advice chief executive Gillian Guy said: 'Some think the amount they get will not be worth the trouble but all too often they are missing out on substantial amounts of extra cash that could make a real difference to their lives.'

Simon Cox, head of planning at Sun Life, said: 'Customers told us they wanted to understand what benefits they are entitled to. It is a sobering thought that so many people in or around retirement are not claiming what they are entitled, which could make a real difference in helping them cope at what we all know is a difficult time.'

Anyone keen on what benefits they are able to claim, can use Age UK's online benefits calculator to work out what they're entitled to, or can visit the section of our website with information on claiming benefits.

Copyright Press Association 2012