Shred form-filling older people face to get financial help

ENSIONER poverty is a massive issue in the UK, with around two million older people struggling to get by and another million living precariously. The social security system has a vital role to play in supporting them but, unfortunately, it is overly complex and fragmented ~ preventing many older people on low incomes from receiving all the financial support they are entitled to.

- Joanna Elson

An older person looking to apply for the four main pensioner entitlements — Pension Credit, Housing _ Benefit, Council Tax Reduction and Attendance Allowance — could have to answer up to 450 questions. This daunting and time-consuming task was revealed at the launch of our latest report, Jumping Through Hoops. Even with the help of a trained adviser, it could take four hours.

An individual attempting an application on their own could have to spend an exorbitant amount of time on the task, which can be very stressful. Our helpline regularly receives calls from worried older people who have found the process of applying for financial support overwhelming; one woman said she was left feeling suicidal.

Living in financial hardship can be incredibly isolating and seeking help shouldn’t involve additional stress in this way.