Mayor helps older Londoners claim £40m in vital support as he extends his successful Pension Credit campaign

• Almost 9,000 London households have successfully claimed Pension Credit as a result of a successful campaign by the Mayor of London
• £40m in financial support, that would otherwise have gone unclaimed, has been given to older Londoners on low incomes to help with their cost of living
• City Hall’s Cost of Living Hub now been viewed more than 800,000 times
• Sadiq is extending his successful campaign to help disabled Londoners and more families on low incomes secure the support that they are entitled to
• It comes as new data from Policy in Practice shows that £4.1bn in benefits will go unclaimed across London in 2025, with more than 1.1m missed claims

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, today announced that he is extending a successful campaign to help Londoners secure the financial support that they are entitled to, after helping older Londoners on low incomes secure £40m towards their cost of living.

The Mayor’s Pension Credit campaign has helped almost 9,000 London households secure life-changing financial support from the Government since being launched in February 2023. In the last year, this has seen more than 4,400 households successfully claim Pension Credit, unlocking more than £21.5m in new annual support and £773,000 in Winter Fuel Payments that they are entitled to.

Now the Mayor is extending the campaign by investing up to £220,000 to help even more low income Londoners to receive the financial support they are entitled to claim. Working with local boroughs, the campaign will expand to help parents on low incomes access Healthy Start Vouchers, and a new pilot will support disabled Londoners to access entitlements such as Personal Independence Payment. 

It comes as new analysis from Policy in Practice shows that Londoners will miss out on almost £4.1bn in unclaimed benefits this year, including £326m in Pension Credit. That represents more than 1.1m missed claims – with an average of £3,674 per household left unclaimed. 

Sadiq is urging Londoners to check their entitlements via City Hall’s Cost of Living Hub to ensure they, and their loved ones, don’t miss out. The Hub provides trusted, accessible guidance to help Londoners claim vital financial support, and to date has been viewed more than 800,000 times.

The Mayor has taken bold action to help tackle poverty in the capital, with a raft of supportive measures. His landmark Universal Free School Meals programme has ensured that every child in London state primary schools receives a free meal each day, saving families as much as £500 per child per year. Alongside this, City Hall’s income maximisation campaigns and advice services have already helped more than 120,000 Londoners claim the support they are entitled to, securing over £80m in financial gains.

In the summer the Mayor launched Holiday Hope – a new £6m programme funding more than 100 community organisations to provide disadvantaged young people with activities and food during school holidays.

The Mayor has also protected free and discounted travel for children and young people, ensuring cost is not a barrier to accessing education or opportunities across the capital.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I am determined to do everything I can to support Londoners with the cost of living and I’m proud that my pension credit campaign has already unlocked over £40m in unclaimed benefits for older Londoners. But I know far too many people are still missing out on the vital support that they are entitled to, and it’s shocking that more than £4bn in benefits will go unclaimed across the capital – money that could be making a huge difference to families, disabled Londoners and older people. That’s why I’m extending my campaign to help reach more Londoners on low incomes and urging Londoners to use City Hall’s Cost of Living Hub to check their entitlements to ensure they or their loved ones don’t miss out. As we build a better, fairer London for everyone, I will continue to work with boroughs, charities and communities to ensure more Londoners get the help they need to thrive.”

Deven Ghelani, Director and Founder of Policy in Practice, said: “Too many Londoners miss out on vital support because the system is hard to navigate. We’re proud to work with the Mayor to help people access the financial support they are entitled to. This campaign has already put millions into older Londoners’ pockets and extending it will make a life-changing difference to even more households.”

Joanna Elson CBE, Chief Executive of Independent Age said: “It's encouraging to see the Mayor of London taking action to help older people on low incomes access Pension Credit. We know how transformative this support can be for the older people we speak to everyday who are cutting back on essentials just to make ends meet. Whether this be washing in cold water, skipping meals or not turning the heating on in the colder months.

“The £40m already secured for older Londoners is a powerful reminder of what’s possible when we break down barriers to receiving financial support. We welcome the Greater London Authority’s commitment to tackle financial hardship in later life and urge the UK Government to follow suit by implementing a nationwide take-up strategy. With nearly one million eligible people missing out on Pension Credit across the UK and hundreds of millions of pounds in Pension Credit still not being received in London alone, there is still much more to do.” 

Abi Wood, CEO, Age UK London said: “This campaign has been highly successful in reaching the older Londoners that are eligible to receive more support and assisting them get that help through the Age UK network in London. With £40m paid out and 9,000 households benefiting since the beginning of the campaign, this will help pull older people in London out of poverty. There is still a lot of work to be done, with almost a quarter of older people over the age of 80 living in poverty in London and we are pleased to hear that the Mayor is extending the campaign to further help Londoners.”

ENDS