Nearly 500,000 older women are missing out on a key benefit worth thousands of pounds a year, new analysis warns. Research by Age UK found that around 470,000 single women pensioners are not claiming the benefit even though they are entitled to it.

Pension Credit can top up incomes and unlock extra help worth an average £2,600 a year, potentially transforming the finances of many struggling retirees. The warning comes as the charity reveals that 1.1 million women pensioners are living in poverty. This figure has remained stubbornly high even though the number of female pensioners has fallen by 740,000 since 2010-11 as a result of increases to the State Pension age.

Campaigners say the figures expose a major failure in the system, which leaves some of the most vulnerable older women without the support they are legally entitled to receive. Nearly two in five pensioner households eligible for Pension Credit – around 38% – are missing out, according to official figures.

That equates to around one million pensioners failing to claim, with the total amount of unclaimed support now estimated at £2.1 billion a year. The average amount pensioners are missing out on has also risen sharply from £37 to £50 a week, the charity said.

Pension Credit does more than simply boost income. Successfully claiming it can also act as a gateway to extra help, including council tax discounts, help with energy bills and a free TV licence for over-75s.

Despite its importance, the latest analysis by the Department for Work and Pensions found take-up of the benefit has actually fallen in the most recent year. Ahead of Mother’s Day, Age UK is urging families to check whether older female relatives could be eligible.

Caroline Abrahams CBE, Charity Director at Age UK, said: “As Mother’s Day approaches, and 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: “At Age UK we are proud of the millions in Pension Credit and other benefits which we help older people to claim each month, but it shouldn’t be down to us to ensure they get their due. We urge the Government to keep working at reforming the system, with the aim of reaching a position in which older people can get the help they need without having to jump through hoops and put in a claim.”

The charity said women’s retirement incomes are typically lower than men’s because they are more likely to have spent time out of the labour market, worked part-time or taken on caring responsibilities during their lives. It warned that many older women are reluctant to seek help, meaning they could be struggling unnecessarily.

Ms Abrahams said: “Many older women are intensely self-reliant, reluctant to ask for help, and conscious that there are others who may be worse off than they are. That’s why some gentle prompting to look into their eligibility for Pension Credit from those they trust is so important.”

She added: “In the face of the latest worrying figures showing Pension Credit take up going down rather than up, the Government must also clearly do more to raise public awareness and support older men and older women who may be eligible to claim. There is absolutely no room for complacency.”

Age UK says pensioners should check whether they are eligible for Pension Credit, apply early, up to four months before reaching State Pension age. They should also encourage friends and relatives to check too.

The charity’s own advisers say the difference can be dramatic. In January 2026, its benefits team completed 538 entitlement checks, finding that 66% of older people were eligible for additional support.

On average they uncovered £6,593 a year in potential extra income per person, with a total £3.2 million in benefits identified in just one month. Anyone worried about their finances can contact Age UK’s advice line on 0800 169 6565 or check eligibility online.