British pensioners ‘not claiming their credits’

The claim from Helen Wanless from Age Concern comes after a public accounts committee revealed that around a third of elderly Britons are not taking up their credits and a report from the Consumer Credit Counselling Service which suggests the burden of debt management is increasingly shifting to older generations in the UK.

It is important that pensioners are fully informed of the credits they are eligible to access and that they are encouraged to ease their own financial difficulties by going through the relevant claims process, Ms Wanless has made clear.

“There needs to be more awareness-raising of the benefits of what people are entitled to,” she said.

“It doesn’t have to be complicated because there are people – from Age Concern or Citizens Advice bureau or pension services – who can sit down and go through those forms with you,” she added.

Around 1.4 million British consumers approached Citizens Advice about debt over the course of last year, according to official figures form the charitable organisation.