The Government’s plans to end pensioner poverty all seem to be implemented with the best intentions. However, according to Nigel Waterson, the shadow Work and Pensions Minister, the plans are falling short.
Mr Waterson said that pensioners had been exceptionally slow at taking up means-tested benefits.
Apparently, between 600,000 and 870,000 pensioners had not claimed what was rightfully theirs. The amount left unclaimed is around £1.26bn.
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Many pensioners believe they would not be entitled to benefits that are means-tested, regardless of whether or not it is the case. Other pensioners just cannot face filling the forms in
If the Government did something to combat these two problems, the take-up of available benefits would be huge. But, maybe they know this and have implemented a system that was designed to fail from the start.