Millions of pensioners could be missing out on thousands of pounds in unclaimed benefits - with families urged to check their entitlement.
New research from retirement specialists Just Group show nearly half of eligible retirees who own their home are not claiming any benefits at all.
Each household could be missing out on an average of £1,197 extra income a year - but one couple in Kent were found to be were losing out on £9,090 a year.
The couple were claiming some disability and mobility benefits but were missing out on Guarantee Pension Credit, Savings Pension Credit and Council Tax Reduction.
There are 5.39 million retired homeowners in England, according to the ONS - which means millions more homes could be entitled to benefit cash.
Stephen Lowe, group communications director at Just Group said: “Every year we find meaningful income that would make a real difference to people's lives is not being claimed.
“The proportion eligible for a benefit is trending lower, but more of those people are failing to claim.
“It raises serious questions about why people in most need of support are not receiving what is rightly theirs.”
Just Group says its research is based on interviews with over-55s seeking advice on equity release products in 2021.
They found nearly one in four people they spoke to were entitled to benefits - but of those, 49% were not claiming anything and 21% were claiming too little.
Have you managed to claim extra money in retirement? Let us know: mirror.money.saving@mirror.co.uk
In total, about one-third of those who were under-claiming were entitled to benefits worth at least £1,000 a year.
Just Group also found more than two in ten pensioner homeowners who were claiming benefits were receiving too little - with each family losing out on £1,220 a year on average.
How to check if you can claim benefits
It takes just ten minutes to use an online calculator tool to check your benefit entitlement.
Some of the most popular online calculators include ones from Turn2us, Policy in Practice and entitledto.
The Mirror also has a free benefits calculator you can use here:
To use a benefit calculator, you'll need to input information about yourself and your circumstances.
For example, your earnings, any savings you have, and who you live with - plus any benefits you already claim.
You’ll need to answer as accurately as possible in order to get a correct figure.
Once you've found out if you're likely able to make a claim, you'll then need to physically apply for the benefits.
Some of the benefits most under-claimed by pensioners, as highlighted by Just Group, including Guaranteed Pension Credit, Savings Pension Credit and Council Tax Reduction.
Guarantee Credit tops up your weekly income to a guaranteed minimum level and is worth £177.10 if you're single or £270.30 if you're a couple.
Savings Credit is extra money if you've got some savings or your income is higher than the basic State Pension - but you can only claim it if you reached State Pension age before April 6, 2016.
You could get up to £14.04 extra per week if you're single or £15.71 extra per week if you're a couple.
Council Tax Reduction is a discount that can be applied to your council tax bill - you'll need to speak to your local authority to see if you're eligible.
The schemes are applied differently across the country but largely depend on your income and what benefits you claim - but you could get up to 100% off.
