Pensioners are being urged to check if they can claim benefits as eight in 10 pensioner households are missing out on payments, worth on average £1,200 a year.
A report from Just Group found households are missing out on £1,231 a year in extra income through not claim the benefits they are due.
One couple in Surrey who were not on benefits were missing out on £143.13 a week, which adds up to more than £7,400 a year. They were missing out on £11.30 a week in Pension Credit and £32.13 a week in council tax reduction.
Stephen Lowe, group communications director at retirement specialist Just Group, told Express.co.uk: “Now is a great time to check your benefit entitlement ahead of a sizeable rates increase in April 2024.
“For people over the state pension age, Pension Credit will top up incomes to £218.15 [from April], up from £201.05, which could generate an extra £889 a year for some of the poorest pensioners who will have been hit hardest by inflationary pressures.
“The state benefit system can be complex and not all pensioners can access the support they need so we would urge family, friends and loved ones to help out if they think somebody in receipt of the state pension could be missing out. There is also a range of resources available that will provide information and guidance.”
The research also found one in 10 households who were claiming could get more funds, with claimants missing out on £476 a year on average.
Mr Lowe said: “State benefits are targeted at those most in need, providing additional income to help support an adequate standard of living in retirement.
“While state benefits increase annually, the price of everyday items and essential services often rise on a weekly or monthly basis.
“For those people who are not claiming any benefits even though they are entitled to them, or those that are not claiming their full allowance, they are missing out on valuable income that would help ease the squeeze financially.”
Benefits are increasing 6.7 percent from the start of the new tax year, on April 6. State pension payments are increasing two days later, on April 8, going up 8.5 percent.
With the state pension increase, the full new state pension will go up from £203.85 a week to £221.20 a week, an increase of just over £900 a year.
Those on the full basic state pension will see their payments rise from £156.20 a week to £169.50 a week, an uprating of almost £700 a year.
A person can check how much state pension they are on track to receive using the state pension forecast tool on the Government website.
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