Age UK issues warning over pensioner poverty (Image: Getty)
The number of pensioners living in poverty in Britain is at risk of hitting two million, it has been warned. Older people are taking “drastic measures” to make ends meet such as skipping meals, taking less baths and showers, and cutting their electricity use, according to research by Age UK.
Around one in six pensioners – 1.9 million – already live in poverty in the UK. But the charity fears that figure is set to reach two million in the coming years as the older population grows unless the Government takes more action to address the issue.
Read more: Triple lock warning as 3m pensioners ‘struggle to keep homes warm’
Age UK charity director Caroline Abrahams said: “As a country we need to do a lot more to tackle poverty among older people, a social ill set to worsen as our population ages we fear, unless something changes and soon.
“1.9 million older people are already living in poverty and we worry that this number will pass the two million mark within the next few years.”
Polling for the charity found one in three over-65s said they are using less electricity this winter to get by financially.
Some 15% said they will have baths or showers less often, while 5% – 690,000 people – said they would be forced to skip meals.
Age UK’s “crisis hiding in plain sight” campaign is urging older people to check if they are entitled to extra financial support, including pension credit which tops up income to a minimum level and acts as a gateway to other help.
An eye-watering £3 billion in benefits that older people are entitled to went unclaimed in the most recent year for which figures are available.
The charity said many older people miss out because they assume they will not qualify or find it difficult to complete applications.
Ms Abrahams said: “In our view the Government’s pension credit take-up initiative needs turbo-charging this year and we urge ministers to commit to that.
“Meanwhile, at Age UK we’ll certainly be doing everything we can to spread the word and to support older people who are potentially eligible to claim their due.
“In 2025, Age UK’s national advice line helped 6,006 older people with benefit checks and applying for benefits, identifying more than £36 million of support – averaging at £5,900 per person. This year our ambition is to exceed that if we can, because we know it’s one of the most important contributions we can make as a charity.
“For any older person trying to live on a small retirement income, every single pound counts and even a small weekly top-up could make a tangible difference, so if you reach state pension age in 2026, or if you’ve been a pensioner for longer and have not yet looked into what you can claim, please contact Age UK to check your entitlement. We’re here to help.”
Dennis Reed, director of the Silver Voices campaign group, said the research “nails the lie that the triple lock is no longer necessary”.
The triple lock policy ensures the state pension rises each year in line with whichever is highest out of 2.5%, inflation, or earnings.
Mr Reed said: “In its wider review of the state pension system the Government needs to recognise that at the root of the problem of pensioner poverty is the scandalously low level of the basic state pension.
“No pensioner should have to rely on a bundle of benefits to eke out their retirement in a semblance of dignity.
“The basic state pension needs to be raised to at least half average earnings (£350 per week), the frozen tax thresholds need to be lifted, and the triple lock must continue until all pensioners can afford to heat their homes in the winter.”
Jan Shortt, general secretary of the National Pensioners Convention, said the report is a “shocking insight into the day-to-day struggles faced by a rapidly growing number of older people”.
She added: “And it is clear from their findings that the numbers facing poverty will continue to rise sharply if nothing is done.
“NPC members increasingly tell us they cannot make ends meet as the cost of food and energy bills continue to soar. The much-touted increases in our many-tiered state pension just don’t cover them.
“It is heartbreaking that so many older people are still not claiming the billions of pounds in benefits, and we all must do more to encourage uptake.
“However, the government must do more to help older people claim the financial help they are due.
“Not only should they make the application process simpler and easier, they must be more proactive in identifying those who qualify for benefits and pension credit. It’s just not an option for the government to say they are doing enough.”
The Daily Express has a long-running crusade to protect the state pension triple lock, which the Labour Government has committed to for the duration of the current Parliament.
A UK Government spokesperson said: “Supporting pensioners is a top priority and our commitment to the triple lock means millions of older people are set to see their state pension rise by up to £2,100 with an extra 47,300 pensioner households awarded pension credit – worth up to £86 a week.
“On top of this, nine million pensioners have benefitted from the winter fuel payment helping them pay their energy bills and the £150 warm home discount has been expanded to six million households.”Yonder carried out a survey of 2,659 people across the UK aged over 65 in October and November 2025 as part of the research.
*Age UK can be contacted on 0800 169 6565 or visit www.ageuk.org.uk/benefits
Comment by Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK
Some four years now into the cost of living crisis, life remains extremely tough for older people on very tight fixed incomes.
Inflation may be down compared to before but the cumulative impact of all the rises in utility and food bills over the last few years is hitting them hard today and every day.
We also often hear from pensioners who were frugal throughout their working lives and expected to enjoy a comfortable retirement, but who now find their careful planning has been overtaken by price hikes on all sides, leaving them in a bind.
Without the triple lock the position would have been even worse – a rebuke to those who say this crucial policy should now go – but the truth is that the triple lock is not enough on its own to prevent 1.9 million older people from experiencing poverty in the UK, equivalent to almost one in five of all over-65s.
Many of them are compelled to resort to keeping their heating turned down low or off for periods in winter, limiting their meals, cutting out non-essentials like the occasional small treat, and not showering or bathing every day – a joyless existence and one that can undermine their mental and physical health too.
And the solutions? More generous state pensions, a real Government effort to get vital top-up benefits like pension credit to older people in desperate need, and guaranteed cheap deals for energy and other utilities, to reduce outgoings. It’s within Government’s power to act.