The Rothesay Foundation has made a £2.47m donation to expand the Age UK benefits check service for older people, building on the success of its 2023 pilot campaign.

The funding is expected to help over 11,000 older people check whether they are eligible for unclaimed benefits through both Age UK’s free national advice line and 11 local Age UKs providing dedicated staff to support older people through the application process.

A previous pilot conducted by the Rothesay Foundation with Age UK found that 76 per cent of older people in the pilot group were not claiming benefits they were eligible for, with an average of £6,600 in unclaimed benefits identified per person.

In addition to this, 18 per cent of participants eligible for benefits didn’t know how to claim them and 15 per cent weren’t aware the benefits existed.

Given this, the continued service aims to identify up to a further £55m over the next two years, supporting over 11,000 older people through the partnership.

The new campaign is expected to help complement the government’s pension credit awareness campaign, which aims to help the estimated 700,000 eligible households to claim their entitlement.

Rothesay Foundation chairman, James Dickson, said: “Too many older people are living in need in the UK despite being eligible and entitled to greater financial support.

"Through our pilot campaign with Age UK, we know that benefits like Pension Credit and Attendance Allowance can be life-changing, unlocking potentially thousands of pounds each year for those in need.

"By funding this expanded initiative with Age UK, we will deliver on our mission of improving the quality of life for older people in need in the UK by ensuring far fewer pensioners are missing out on the essential financial support they are entitled to.”

Age UK CEO, Paul Farmer, added: “At Age UK, we are committed to ensuring that every older person can afford to heat their home and enjoy a hot meal at least once a day. That’s why it’s a priority for Age UK to continue raising awareness of the welfare benefits available to older people, and helping them claim what they are entitled to.

"This is why our partnership with the Rothesay Foundation is so vital. With its support, Age UK has been able to expand our benefits check service through our national Advice Line and in 11 communities across England and Wales through local Age UKs and Age Cymrus.

"To date, we’ve already helped over 4,500 older people identify their benefit entitlements, and over the next two years we hope to reach even more.

"From our conversations with older people, we know how life-changing this support can be.

"We are deeply grateful to the Rothesay Foundation for its generosity and unwavering
commitment to improving the lives of older people.”

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