The Department for Work and Pensions has launched a new campaign to help eligible pensioners claim the benefit they are entitled to, as a new report highlights the areas where most are missing out
Jamie Brassington Senior reporter and Brian Dillon
16:00, 04 Nov 2025
Thousands of pensioner households could be missing out(Image: MoMo Productions via Getty Images)
Thousands of pensioner households could be missing out on money they are entitled to receive. New analysis has revealed the regions where most pensioners are failing to claim their due benefits, as the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) initiates a new campaign to assist people in claiming what they’re owed, according to Express.co.uk..
A significant number of pensioners, particularly in areas like the South West, are not receiving the Pension Credit benefit, which averages at £83 per week. An analysis released last week indicated that in the South West, just over half of eligible pensioners are claiming Pension Credit, reports Birmingham Live.
This figure is considerably higher in regions such as the North and London, where between 60% and 70% of potentially eligible pensioners are receiving it. In the North East, uptake rates are the highest in the country at 71%.
Letters will be sent to 2,000 pensioners across England, encouraging them to claim Pension Credit, worth on average around £4,300 a year. This initiative is part of a trial in which the DWP has collaborated with Age UK and Independent Age.
Those who will receive letters have been identified through the analysis as being the most likely to be eligible for Pension Credit but are currently not claiming the benefit. The campaign, which ran between 2023 and 2024, resulted in an additional 56,700 households being awarded Pension Credit in the last year alone.
Morgan Vine, director of policy and influencing at Independent Age, said: “If you’re in financial hardship, where you live shouldn’t be a factor in whether or not you receive the money you’re entitled to, but at the moment, it is.
“With the continued high cost of living, the older people that we speak to cannot afford to miss out on any of the money they are eligible for.
“Initiatives like this trial are a positive step towards increasing the number of people receiving the financial support they are entitled to, and we urge the UK Government to continue building on this strategic approach.”
The DWP has indicated that additional schemes could be introduced if this trial proves successful. Those who think they may qualify for Pension Credit can verify their eligibility online and begin the application process there.
You can also ring 0800 99 1234.
The regions across the UK with the poorest uptake rates include the South West (55%), the South East (56%), the East of England (58%) and the East Midlands (61%).
Below is an analysis of each area:
Split by nation:
- England – 63%
- Wales – 64%
- Scotland – 67%
Split by English region:
- North East – 71%
- North West – 67%
- Yorkshire and The Humber – 64%
- East Midlands – 61%
- West Midlands – 65%
- East of England – 58%
- London – 69%
- South East – 56%
- South West – 55%
