6,485 Bromley Pensioners Missing Out on Pension Credit

12.30.27pm UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 14th Jan 2004

Thosands of Bromley pensioners are missing out on pensions credit, according to new figures released by Simon Hughes and the Liberal Democrats

Almost half of entitled pensioner households are still missing out on the Government's flagship Pension Credit in the Capital.

New figures revealed today by the Liberal Democrats show that out of 450,000 pensioners in London entitled to receive the means-tested benefit, 214,000 (48%) are failing to claim. This means 6,485 pensioners in each London borough are still failing to claim the pension credit.

The low take-up comes despite months of costly Government advertising promoting the Pension Credit.

Commenting on the figures, Liberal Democrat London Mayoral candidate Simon Hughes MP said:

"It's shocking that Pension Credit is reaching so few of the people who should be getting this money. This eye-wateringly complex benefit is claimed by few and understood by no-one.

"The Government has a bizarre strategy of writing to 80% of all London pensioners to tell them about the benefit only after it had been introduced. This has resulted in an appalling take up and thousands of older people missing out on benefits they are entitled to.

"The only guaranteed way to get extra money to the poorest pensioners is by boosting the inadequate state pension."