ELDERLY BENEFITS GO BEGGING

With Havering having the largest proportion of pensioners in Greater London, it is a concern that elderly people across the country are missing out on some £5billion in unclaimed benefits each year.

Each year around 1.8 million people are missing out on £1,500 in pension credit, 2.1 million are not claiming council tax aid worth £700 while housing benefit worth £2,200 is failing to get to 350,000 people.

The lack of awareness of benefits is too often compounded by over complicated, time consuming and obtrusive form-filling. The way forward must be to use existing records for tax, national Insurance and health in a ‘joined up' fashion and make payments automatically to those who are most in need.

It is scandalous that the Treasury is sitting in some £5 billion of  unclaimed benefits each year whilst so many pensioners are compelled to make  sacrifices just in order to make ends meet.

In addition the Government should restore the link between the state pension and earnings so the elderly are not disadvantaged even further.

Further information on benefits and eligibility can be obtained by contacting Age Concern on Freephone 0808 800 6565.

Cllr Clarence Barrett

24.2.09