Campaigners are calling for the state pension to be increased to at least £320 a week – which is around £1,280 a month – so hard-up pensioners no longer have to claim Pension Credit.
Silver Voices said Pension Credit is “plagued by a low take up rate” and that the minimum state pension amount is “realistic and sustainable”.
Previous estimates suggest some 850,000 people are missing out on Pension Credit, which can boost a household’s income by more than £3,000 a year.
Pension Credit tops up the income of Britons of state pension age who have a low income, up to £201.05 a week for single people and up to £306.85 a week for couples.
The full basic state pension is currently £156.20 a week while the full new state pension is £203.85 a week, although a person will receive less if they do not have enough qualifying years to get the full amount.
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A person typically needs 30 years of contributions to get the full basic state pension and 35 years of contributions to get the full new state pension.
Silver Voices is calling for “urgent” action as the UK state pension is at the bottom of the league table for state pension payments for developed nations.
The £320 a week minimum figure is based on half the average earnings figure for the UK, which is £640 a week.
Silver Voices director Dennis Reed, said: “If political parties are serious about tackling pensioner poverty and stopping premature deaths through hypothermia and malnutrition, then they must introduce a pension which is sufficient for life’s essentials.
Silver Voices director Dennis Reed, said: “If political parties are serious about tackling pensioner poverty and stopping premature deaths through hypothermia and malnutrition, then they must introduce a pension which is sufficient for life’s essentials.
“No pensioner household, having paid their taxes and national insurance for all their working lives, should be forced to claim benefits in order to survive.
“Our proposal of a minimum state pension of £320 per week is realistic and sustainable, as it would be partly paid for by scrapping the flawed Pension Credit system.
“Every older person should receive a basic income sufficient to heat their homes and feed their households, without having to apply for a top-up benefit.
“Lip service by politicians to the right to a dignified retirement is no longer acceptable to senior citizens, they must deliver the wherewithal.”
A person does not have to be claiming their state pension to claim Pension Credit, although for couple claimants, both of them must have reached state pension age, which is currently 66.
Pension Credit is a ‘gateway’ benefit providing access to other help from the Government, including a free TV licence for claimants aged 75 or over.
Claimants can also get council tax discounts and Support for Mortgage Interest if they own the property they live in.
A person can find out how much state pension they are on track to receive and how much Pension Credit can claim using the state pension forecast tool on the Government website.
Martin Lewis recently encouraged people to check if they are eligible for the benefit. He said on ITV’s This Morning: “My rule of thumb is if you’ve got a total weekly income of under £220, it is worth checking whether you’re entitled to Pension Credit.
“That’s what I always say. I don’t say you’re going to get it. I say that’s when it’s worth checking. And if you are a pensioner couple with income under £320, it is worth checking.”
The DWP previously created an interactive Pension Credit claim form as part of a campaign to raise awareness of the benefit.
People on the benefit are also receiving a £900 cost of living payment going out to people on certain means-tested benefits.
The first £301 instalment has already gone out with a second £300 instalment going out in autumn 2023 and the third payment of £299 in spring 2024.
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