Older women who live alone missing out on financial help

Thousands of older women who are struggling with money are missing out on financial help, a charity has warned.

According to Age UK, single female pensioners are at much higher risk of being in poverty than pensioner couples.

But the charity is worried that many could be missing out on the help that’s available, such as pension credit.

In fact, government figures show that 470,000 single women aren’t receiving the pension Credit they’re entitled to.

That compares with 150,000 single men and 200,000 pensioner couples.

What is pension credit?

Pension credit provides people on low incomes who are over state pension age with extra money to help with living costs.

This is worth around £4,000 and can also open the door to other benefits, including:

• help with rent
• a council tax reduction
• fuel bill support
• a free TV licence if you’re over 75

Caroline Abrahams CBE, Charity Director at Age UK said: “With the Middle East conflict potentially threatening higher prices for energy and other essentials further down the track, there’ll never be a better time for older women to check whether they are missing out on financial entitlements that could ease their anxieties about making ends meet.”

She added that pension credit “could make the difference between an older woman having to worry constantly about money on the one hand, and living a comfortable and peaceful life on the other”.

Pension credit applications down by more than a third

According to government figures, 209,735 pension credit applications were received between 24 February 2025 and 22 February 2026.

That’s 36% down on the previous year - a drop of 117,595 applications.

Meanwhile, 242,440 claims were processed - a drop of 25% year-on-year.

And the number of claims awarded fell by 13% to 147,150.

Ms Abrahams described the figures as “worrying” and said more must be done to raise awareness of what help is available.

“There is absolutely no room for complacency,” she insisted.

Don’t miss out 

You can make a claim for pension credit on the government website.

And if you’re not sure if you qualify, give us a ring and we’ll check for you. 

We can also help you find out if you're receiving all the benefits you're entitled to, or you can use our free benefits calculator to see if you might be eligible for additional support.

Don’t assume you won’t qualify. 

Even if you own your home or have some savings, you could still be eligible.