Overview
- Age UK research reports 33% of over-65s are using less electricity, 35% are turning heating down, 15% are bathing less often and 5% are skipping meals this winter.
- The charity estimates about 1.9 million pensioners already live in poverty and cautions the total could pass two million within the next few years.
- The 2026 campaign, branded Crisis Hiding in Plain Sight, urges new and existing pensioners to check eligibility for Pension Credit and other entitlements.
- Pension Credit tops up low incomes and unlocks wider help such as housing support and free TV licences, yet many older people do not claim due to assumptions or application hurdles.
- Age UK says its 2025 advice line helped 6,006 people identify more than £36 million in support, based on research that included a Yonder survey of 2,600+ over-65s conducted in October and November.