More than 200 Ealing residents have received over £1.3m in financial support through the Mayor of London’s campaign to help older people claim uncollected benefits.
City Hall figures show that 220 residents in the London Borough of Ealing have benefited from the initiative, which has so far unlocked £40m across the capital for nearly 9,000 older Londoners. The scheme, launched by Sadiq Khan in early 2023, aims to ensure that pensioners on low incomes receive the Pension Credit payments to which they are entitled.
The Mayor has now announced that the campaign will expand to support disabled Londoners and low-income families, including help accessing Healthy Start vouchers and Personal Independence Payments. City Hall is investing a further £220,000 to widen the scheme’s reach in partnership with local boroughs.
New analysis by Policy in Practice suggests that £4.1bn in benefits will go unclaimed across London this year, including £326m in Pension Credit — an average of £3,674 per household.
Mr Khan said he was “proud” that the drive had already unlocked tens of millions of pounds but warned that “far too many people are still missing out on the vital support they are entitled to”.
Charities including Age UK London and Independent Age welcomed the extension, describing the campaign as “life-changing” for older residents struggling with rising living costs.
Londoners can check their benefit entitlements through City Hall’s Cost of Living Hub, which has been viewed more than 800,000 times since its launch.
