Many who feel the system is “too complicated” prefer to simply “make do” with what they have than deal with trying to obtain a full pension, senior press officer Helen Wanless suggested.

Many are in the dark about their entitlement to claim, and others are “really embarrassed about putting in a claim”, she added.

The government must increase awareness of benefits among pensioners, Ms Wanless stressed.

There is a “huge amount” of work to be done to ensure pensioners are obtaining their full entitlement, she added, with a focus on improved information provision at the core of the effort.

One way of improving older people’s awareness about their pensions entitlement could be building up their IT capabilities and improving their access to information, a task Age Concern is tackling through its digital inclusion project.

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