Fresh analysis from Age UK reveals that 1.1 million female pensioners across the country are living in poverty, with nearly half a million single women failing to claim financial support they are legally entitled to receive.
The charity's examination of Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) data shows that 470,000 single female pensioners are not receiving Pension Credit, despite being eligible for the benefit worth an average of £2,600 annually.
This figure dwarfs the number of single men missing out on the same entitlement, which stands at 150,000, while 200,000 pensioner couples are also failing to claim.
The financial circumstances of older women are typically shaped by their entire working lives, not just their current situation.
Age UK is sounding the alarm over growing pension poverty among women
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Women generally retire with lower individual incomes than men, a disparity rooted in historically lower average earnings throughout their careers.
Time spent away from employment or in part-time roles while raising children significantly reduces pension contributions and savings.
Caring responsibilities for elderly or disabled relatives and friends further compound this effect, creating gaps in employment that directly impact retirement finances.
Single female pensioners face a considerably greater risk of poverty compared to pensioner couples, according to the charity's findings.
The majority of pensioners living in poverty in the UK are women, research has found | GETTY LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
Age UK's Caroline Abrahams has warned hundreds of thousands of pensioners are missing out on support | AGE UKDespite the number of female pensioners falling by 740,000 since 2010-11 due to increases in the State Pension age, the total living in poverty has remained stubbornly fixed at 1.1 million.
The situation appears to be deteriorating rather than improving, with DWP analysis showing Pension Credit take-up actually declined in the most recent year on record.
An additional 120,000 pensioner households have joined those not receiving the support they qualify for, while the average weekly amount going unclaimed has risen from £37 to £50.
The total sum of unclaimed Pension Credit now stands at £2.1billion. Nearly two in five eligible pensioner households, representing 38 per cent or approximately one million people, are not accessing this support.
Age UK is calling on pensioners to check eligibility for Pension Credit | ALAMYBeyond the direct financial boost, those missing out also forfeit access to additional assistance that Pension Credit unlocks, including council tax reductions, help with energy costs, and free television licences for those aged over 75.
Caroline Abrahams CBE, charity director at Age UK, said: "As Mother's Day approaches, and with the Middle East conflict potentially threatening higher prices for energy and other essentials further down the track, there'll never be a better time for older women to check whether they are missing out on financial entitlements that could ease their anxieties about making ends meet."
She added: "Many older women are intensely self-reliant, reluctant to ask for help, and conscious that there are others who may be worse off than they are. That's why some gentle prompting to look into their eligibility for Pension Credit from those they trust is so important."
During January 2026, the charity's benefits team conducted 538 entitlement checks, identifying an average of £6,593 in potential additional annual income per eligible person.
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