ACTION must be taken to ensure all pensioners entitled to Pension Credit are receiving the benefit, a Newport MP has said.

Newport East's Jessica Morden made the appeal after a study found up to 1.3 million households entitled to the benefit - more than 40 per cent of those eligible - are not claiming it.

Pension Credit is intended to male sure households on the lowest incomes can pay for essentials such as food and heating bills. Charity Independent Age, which obtained the figures, has said at least 75 per cent of those eligible for the benefit receive it by the end of 2020, and 100 per cent by 2025.

MORE NEWS:

Labour MP Ms Morden said: “In Newport East, almost £5 million of Pension Credit is not reaching older people each year who are eligible to claim it.

"As Age Cymru have highlighted, there are many reasons why older people do not claim pension credit - they may not know the benefit exists, they may feel they are not entitled to any help, they may be put off by the process of claiming, they may struggle on alone assuming others are worse off than them, or they be living with dementia.”

Entitlement to free TV licences for over-75s is to be linked to Pension Credit from next year - meaning anyone entitled to the benefit but not claiming it will also have to fork out for a licence.

To check if you are eligible for Pension Credit, call 0800 678 1602, or visit

ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/money-legal/benefits-entitlements/pension-credit/