The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, is joining forces with Age UK London and boroughs across the city to ensure older Londoners are able to access the financial support they are entitled to,
as the cost of living crisis worsens.
Sadiq has worked in partnership with local Age UK charities and the national Age UK Advice Line to produce materials that will help make older Londoners aware of the benefits available to them, ensure they know how to apply for Pension Credit, and signpost them to help and support with their applications.
The government provides Pension Credit to people of state pension age on low incomes, with those who claim it receiving on average £140 a month. In addition to providing extra money for older Londoners on low-incomes, receipt of Pension Credit also unlocks a range of further support, including with energy and council tax bills.
But Greater London Authority estimates indicate that about 96,000 older Londoners who are entitled to top up their income with Pension Credit are not claiming it.
Estimates suggest the highest proportion of older Londoners entitled to, but not claiming, Pension Credit live in Tower Hamlets and Hackney. To support older Londoners, the Mayor worked with Hackney Council to deliver postcards to 100,000 households (1) in the borough, urging eligible people to apply.
The support from City Hall and Age UK London comes amid the deepening cost of living crisis across the UK, which is hitting the most vulnerable Londoners hardest. Government data highlights that older people across the country are struggling to get by when they could be eligible for crucial financial support.
Even before the latest crisis, more than a million older people in Britain were already living in fuel poverty and many more risked their health by rationing food and heating to keep bills down.
The Mayor continues to do all he can to support Londoners and help tackle the cost of living crisis in the capital, including starting record numbers of affordable homes, quadrupling the number of Living Wage accredited employers and continuing the TfL Hopper fare. He also urges the Government to do more to tackle the rising cost of living and help those most in need.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said, “The spiralling cost of living is having a huge impact on Londoners, and with bills set to rise further in the coming weeks, this burden is going to become even greater for some of the most vulnerable people in our city.
“That’s why I’ve teamed up with Age UK and boroughs to ensure older Londoners are aware of Pension Credit and know how to claim all the money and benefits they are rightly entitled to. We know that many older Londoners are struggling financially, and many may not know they are eligible for this top up or how to claim it.
“I will continue to do all I can to support Londoners, but we need the Government to step forward with urgent measures to help people through this crisis.”
Chief Executive Officer, Age UK London, Abi Wood, said: “It has never been more important to raise awareness of Pension Credit in London. London has the highest rate of poverty among people of pensionable age in the country and there has been a steep increase in poverty among older Londoners in recent years. Poverty is complicated, it’s persistent, it isn’t always visible and it’s hard to escape. As well as helping with the rising cost of food and heating bills, claiming Pension Credit can also open doors to other forms of support for older people.” Photo by The Big Lunch, Wikimedia commons.