Jumping through hoops: Reducing the complexity of the social security system for older people

The UK’s social security system is a vital safety net for people in later life. Unfortunately, many older people don’t receive this support, despite being eligible and in desperate need of it.

Our research highlights one of the reasons for this: the complexity of the social security system in the UK is preventing many older people from receiving all the money they are entitled to.

Missing out

Many older people in poverty are missing out on income they are eligible for, and which could substantially improve their financial situation and quality of life.

For instance, as of 2022/23, only 65% of those eligible for Pension Credit received it. Millions are also missing out on other financial entitlements, including Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction, and Attendance Allowance, which provides income for those with long-term health conditions or disabilities.

It is unacceptable that hundreds of thousands of older people are living in a desperate situation, which could be significantly improved if they received everything they were entitled to. For instance, Attendance Allowance can be worth more than £5,600 a year, and Pension Credit is worth on average £3,900, plus potentially thousands of pounds in passported support.

There are multiple reasons why people don’t receive all their entitlements, despite the huge benefits these can bring. These reasons include lack of awareness that support exists and experiences of stigma. One barrier that is sometimes overlooked is how difficult it can be to apply for help.

Our research

We wanted to understand more about older people’s experiences of navigating the complex social security system and applying for entitlements. We explored this by:

conducting in-depth interviews with around 25 advisers, who support older people to apply for their entitlements every day
gathering the perspectives of older people in financial hardship, through a survey, interviews and our Helpline
carrying out a literature review, to understand other research that has been done on this topic and what is already known about the changes needed.

Complex systems

Older people and advisers shared that the pension-age social security system is extremely confusing and fragmented, and application processes long and difficult. This deters some people from starting an application, while others give up during the process.

We heard about a range of issues people faced, including repetitive forms that take hours to fill in, confusing terminology, and lengthy, anxious waits to hear about applications on decisions. Processes can seem contorted, with several scenarios where applicants need to fill in the same form twice, or apply for something they will not directly benefit from. People reported that they didn't know what they were entitled to, what order to make applications in, or who they could go to for help.

Through our conversations, we identified six main areas where change is needed. Each of these is explored in a chapter of the report.

simplify application forms
streamline application processes
communicate effectively
harness the power of data
improve customer service
support the advice sector.

Applying for help in the way of benefit[s] is extremely difficult and paperwork associated is not understandable and confusing. In the end, one just gives up and continues to struggle.
Alan, 80
I genuinely can't think of one benefit off the top of my head that is actually easy to do.
Independent Age adviser
People who don't go online find it much more difficult to apply for benefits, and also to cope with life in general.
Brenda, 84
Pensioners need money right now, for stuff right now. They don't need to wait six months for something to come through.
Adviser
I am over the moon… [receiving Attendance Allowance] will improve my life no end. No one had ever explained anything about benefits to me before. I had no idea where to go first or what to do.
Jean, 77

Key statistics

To access all their entitlements, someone might need to fill in more than five repetitive and complex forms. The longest form – Pension Credit – has 243 questions.

Only 67% of surveyed applicants found it easy to apply for Attendance Allowance, which takes advisers on average two hours to help someone complete.

In mid-November 2024, the average wait for a decision on a Pension Credit application was 65 working days, or three months

What is Independent Age calling for?

It is deeply worrying that many older people in need may be missing out on crucial income because of difficulties claiming their financial entitlements. It is time for this to change.

The UK Government should develop a take-up strategy for all financial entitlements, learning from the strategy in place in Scotland and other best practice. This strategy should include a genuine commitment to increase take-up, along with target take-up levels for the coming years.

The strategy must include action to address the issues outlined in this report. Examples of what we want to see include:

DWP and Local Authorities (LAs) urgently assessing the scope to shorten and simplify application forms across the range of pensioner benefits.

DWP publishing and implementing a plan to meet processing target times and to reduce phone-line waits.

DWP and LAs assessing whether any entitlements could be automated or semi-automated and better understanding the barriers to this.

Could you be eligible for support?

The social security system can seem complicated, but Independent Age’s advisers can help you to understand it and to apply for your entitlements. Call our freephone Helpline on 0800 319 6789 to get free and impartial advice on the issues that matter to older people with money worries. Or find out more about what you might be eligible for with our Moneywise guide.

Want to know more?

Our full report is available to read and download. Find out more about how the complexity of the social security system can prevent older people receiving the income they are entitled to.

Download our full report