Around 2.5 million pensioners are missing out on some form of state-funded benefit, pushing them either into poverty or at risk of it, a new report has found.
Research by the charity Independent Age shows that if all older people took up their full means-tested entitlements, 280,000 fewer pensioners would be living in poverty.
This would save the NHS and social care sectors in England £790m a year, due to improved health and socio-economic outlook for those people affected, the report claims.
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The midnight social media curfew for older teens proposal – explained
Sixteen and 17-year-olds will face a voluntary overnight social media curfew, the Government has announced.
Caption: PASAY CITY, PHILIPPINES – JUNE 8: Passengers bound for the quake-hit city of General Santos check social media posts about destruction in Mindanao, following a powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Southern Philippines, at the domestic departure area at NAIA airport, Pasay City, Philippines, on June 8, 2026. Multiple buildings across the Mindanao region have reportedly been damaged or collapsed. Rescue operations are underway. (Photo by Daniel Ceng/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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Midnight social media ban for teens
The Government has announced that older teenagers in the UK will be subject to a social media curfew from midnight until 06:00. However, they will have the option to disable it by adjusting their account settings.
Caption: BATH, UNITED KINGDOM – APRIL 27: In this photo illustration a 14-year-old teenage boy looks at an iPhone screen displaying various social media apps on April 27, 2026 in Bath, England. In the UK, a ban on social media for under-16s has been backed by the House of Lords following the Australian law which aims to stop children under 16 from having social media accounts and social media platforms, including TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram potentially being be fined for preventing children younger than 16 from having social media accounts. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)
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Hopes of ending infinite scrolling
Apps such as Instagram, TikTok and YouTube will be set to unavailable by default during the curfew times.
The Government also wants “addictive” functions such as auto-play and infinite scroll to be set to disabled.
Ministers believe these restrictions will improve teenagers’ focus, sleep quality and family life.
Explained
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Will it work?
The Government trialled the curfew previously with 300 teenagers and found it led to improved sleep as well as making teens more communicative with their families.
The report found the curfew was the most manageable measure to enforce.
However, in Australia, where an under-16 ban is already in place, many teens have said that they can still access supposedly banned sites.
Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) can also be used to get around age checks, but the Government said that they have found little evidence to show VPNs are being used by children.
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Social media debate continues
Australia brought in a similar ban for under-16s in December last year (Photo: Hollie Adams/Reuters)
Professor Sonia Livingstone, an expert in children’s digital rights at the London School of Economics, told the BBC that the curfew could harm vulnerable children by restricting them from social media when they need it most.
But online safety minister, Kanishka Narayan, said the plans show the UK is “firmly on the side of” parents and families.
2.5m pensioners missing out on up to £13,000 a year in benefits – how to claim
Research by charity Independent Age shows that if all older people took up their full means-tested entitlements, 280,000 fewer pensioners would be living in poverty. This would save the NHS and social care sectors £790m a year, according to the report.
Charity Independent Age are calling on Andy Burnham’s incoming government to come up with a strategy ‘urgently’ as poverty rates for older people hit 1.7m last year (Photo: Getty Images)
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What pensioners are missing out on
Depending on their circumstances, pensioners may be entitled to pension credit, council tax benefit, and housing benefit.
The report found that only 62 per cent of those eligible are receiving the income-related pension credit top-up, and 230,000 pensioner households aren’t claiming housing benefit. Over a million pensioner households could be missing out on council tax reduction benefits.
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Are you missing out on pensioner benefits?
Analysis by The i Paper suggests some pensioners eligible to receive all three benefits could be missing out on as much as £13,000 a year.
Pension credit is available to those with weekly incomes of less than £238 for single people or £363.25 for a couple.
Anyone with savings under £16,000 can claim housing benefit.
Council tax reduction can be claimed through your local council depending on how much savings you have.
You can apply for the benefits on the Government online portal or by calling 0800 991234.
Iran War
All you need to know as US reinstates Iran blockade
Caption: TOPSHOT – A tugboat guides a ship at the Khor Fakkan Container Terminal, the only natural deep-sea port in the region and one of the major container ports in Sharjah Emirate, along the Gulf of Oman on July 14, 2026. Tehran announced it was closing the Strait of Hormuz on July 12 and launched missiles and drones at its Gulf neighbours, in retaliation for new US strikes following an attack by Iranian forces on a merchant vessel that was abandoned in flames by its crew. (Photo by AFP via Getty Images) /
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The US has resumed blockading Iranian ports as the two countries exchanged attacks for the fourth day in a row following a breakdown in talks.
Trump drops toll threat
The blockade announcement came after Trump dropped a threat to introduce a toll on vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
Caption: IRAN, OMAN – JUNE 18: (RESTRICTIONS: NO Access Israel Media/Persian Language TV Stations Outside Iran/Strictly No Access BBC Persian/VOA Persian/Manoto TV/Iran International TV) Rescue efforts are underway for a South Korean container ship that ran aground after choosing the wrong route while attempting to navigate through the Strait of Hormuz, which the Iranian military had closed, during the attacks launched by the U.S. and Israel on February 28 in Oman, Iran, on June 18, 2026. (Photo by Stringer/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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Caption: TOPSHOT – US President Donald Trump looks on after signing an executive order to drastically shrink two national monuments in Utah, paving the way for fossil fuel extraction and mining, at the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on July 13, 2026. The issue has become something of a political football. Previously, President Trump had targeted the two monuments, Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante, during his first term in 2017, before his Democratic successor, Joe Biden, restored them to their original boundaries in 2021. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images)
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Trump announced the toll would be replaced with a series of investments and trade deals with the Gulf states.
The US President scrapped the toll “based on highly productive conversations with Middle East leadership”, just five hours before it was due to come into effect.
Oil prices rise after blockade announcement
The renewed attacks have triggered a sharp rise in oil prices as traffic through the Strait has slowed to a two-month low. On Tuesday, oil prices closed up at a one-month high, with Brent futures up 0.7 per cent to $85.31 (£63.64).
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Caption: TOPSHOT – Motorists drive along an expressway as plumes of smoke rise after a strike in Tehran on March 5, 2026. Israel pounded Tehran with fresh strikes and Iran targeted Kurdish guerilla groups in Iraq on March 5 as a spiralling war in the Middle East engulfed the entire region. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP via Getty Images)
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Threats to strike critical infrastructure
Trump once again threatened to strike Iran’s bridges and power plants if Iran does not return to the negotiating table. “Next week, it gets really bad for them,” he said in a Fox News interview.
In April, Trump made similar threats, which were denounced by UN human rights chief Volker Türk, who called them a “war crime” under international law.
US carries out strikes
US Central Command (Centcom) said it hit “dozens” of Iranian military targets overnight to “further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping and civilian crews”.
Iran said at least seven people were killed in US strikes on a base in the southeastern city of Bampur.
Caption: This screen grab made on July 15, 2026, from a handout video released by US Central Command on July 13, 2026, shows what the US military says is a strike in Iran. The United States carried out a fresh round of strikes on Iran and renewed a blockade of its ports, while Tehran targeted American allies in the Gulf and vowed the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed “until the US ends its aggression”. (Photo by US Central Command Public Affairs / AFP via Getty Images) / THIS PICTURE WAS BLURRED AT SOURCE — RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – MANDATORY CREDIT “AFP PHOTO / US CENTRAL COMMAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS” – HANDOUT – NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS – DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS
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Caption: Smoke rises from an explosion at an unknown location, during what U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) says are strikes on Iran, in this screen grab taken from a handout video released on July 14, 2026. U.S. Central Command/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. OVERLAY AND MASKING AT SOURCE. VERIFICATION : -Location and date could not be verified -No earlier version of the video found posted online before Tuesday (July 14)
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The Iranian response
In response, Iran fired missiles and drones at US targets in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain, according to state-run television network IRIB.
In the early hours of Wednesday, Kuwait’s military said it was intercepting Iranian attack drones, while Bahrain activated air raid sirens.
The US said Iran “intentionally targeted civilians” by attacking seven commercial ships, which resulted in “a dozen civilian crew members” being killed, going missing or suffering from injuries, according to the commander of Centcom.
news
What do Labour’s property reforms actually mean for homebuyers?
Buying a home in England could soon change significantly under Government plans to overhaul the home-buying process.
Here is everything you need to know.
What reforms are being introduced?
Last month, the Government announced proposals aimed at modernising the home-buying process in England and Wales.
Caption: A drone view shows rows of terraced houses in the constituency of Gorton and Denton ahead of a parliamentary by-election, in Manchester, Britain, February 18, 2026 REUTERS/Phil Noble TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
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The Enterprise Investment Scheme is designed to encourage investment into small, early-stage UK companies (Photo: Aitor Diago/Getty)
A central part of the reforms is the wider use of reservation agreements, under which buyers and sellers each pay a reservation fee and agree to progress the sale within a set timeframe. Ministers also want more information about a property to be available before it is listed for sale.
How will this impact the market?
Caption: File photo dated 29/07/25 of model houses on a pile of coins and bank notes. Councils risk becoming financially unsustainable unless they cut, reduce or overhaul critical services, a watchdog has said, as it warned of a near ?1 billion funding gap. The Accounts Commission said Scotland’s local authorities are facing a combined revenue gap of ?975 million across the next two years amid increasing financial pressures. Issue date: Thursday June 11, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Joe Giddens/PA Wire
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Higher upfront costs
Buyers would be expected to spend more on due diligence before the reservation agreement.
Fewer failed sales
Encouraging buyers and sellers to commit earlier should mean fewer sales collapse.
(Photo: Getty).
Real estate investment and loan, mortgage and refinance concept. – stock photo. (manusapon kasosod/ Getty)
Strain on first-time buyers
First-time buyers could be most exposed as they have to save for a deposit.
Watch more from The i Paper
Sir Olly Robbins, a former top Foreign Office civil servant, has launched a legal challenge after he was sacked following the Lord Mandelson vetting scandal. Robbins was fired from his position in April after Sir Keir Starmer and Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper lost confidence in him, saying he had failed to tell ministers of a recommendation to deny Mandelson security vetting clearance.
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EV drivers face pay-per-mile scheme from 2028 – what we know
UK enquiries for EVs have risen sharply since the Iran conflict began. (Photo: John Walton/PA)
The Government has confirmed that a new pay-per-mile scheme for electric vehicles will be introduced in April 2028.
How does the new scheme work?
Electric car drivers will be required to pay a tax of 3p per mile.
It will be calculated through the use of driver mileage estimates and an upfront charge based on that figure.
Motorists will then submit an actual mileage reading at the end of the year and this will be backed up by a mileage reading at the car’s annual MOT.
At the end of the year, drivers will see their balance and either pay any outstanding amount or spread the cost over the following 12 months.
Expert opinion:
At such a crucial point in the switch to electric, ministers should be making the system simpler, fairer and easier to understand, not pressing ahead with a policy whose key faults remain unresolved.
Vicky Edmonds from Electric Vehicle Association England said that the move “still does not work for drivers”.
Caption: (FILES) People charge their electric cars at a Tesla electric charging station in Saint-Herblain, western France, on April 15, 2026, as US-Israel war on Iran, launched on February 28, has roiled global energy and equities markets, sending oil prices skyrocketing after Tehran virtually closed the key Strait of Hormuz. New electric car sales in France jumped 48 percent year-on-year in the first four months of the year to 148,302 units, even as the broader automotive market struggled, the automotive industry body PFA, which represents all carmakers, said on May 1, 2026. (Photo by Loic VENANCE / AFP via Getty Images)
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Opinion | “England might not have exactly swaggered into the World Cup semi-finals but they most definitely can win it” says Mark Douglas. “After a suffocating quarter-final win – both on account of the conditions and the tension that accompanied much of their second-half display – England now meet the best team they have played in two years. “But there is nothing to fear from Argentina and clear signs that this is a team that can end that long wait for silverware”. You can read Mark’s full article on The i Paper’s website. #fifaworldcup #england #footballscominghome
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What is the Hillsborough Law and what will it change?
Andy Burnham has said the Hillsborough Law will help shift the balance of power between the people and the state.
Liverpool fans display a banner in memory of the victims of the Hillsborough disaster before a match in 2025 REUTERS/David Klein
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What is the Hillsborough Law?
The Hillsborough Law takes its name from the 1989 disaster at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield.
A banner stating ‘justice’ outside Saint George’s Hall as thousands of people gather to attend a vigil for the 96 victims of the Hillsborough tragedy (Photo: Christopher Furlong /Getty)
Andy Burnham leaves the venue of the second Hillsborough inquests in Warrington after hearing the coroner’s conclusions in April 2016 (Photo: Christopher Furlong/Getty)
The legislation, which cleared commons on Tuesday, aims to prevent cover-ups by requiring officials to be transparent during investigations and inquiries into failures by the state.
What is the Hillsborough Disaster?
The Government has signed the ‘Hillsborough Charter’ which promises public bodies will act with what Rishi Sunak called ‘honesty, transparency and candour’ (Photo: Paul Ellis/Getty)
What happened?
The 1989 Hillsborough disaster claimed 97 lives after a crush during the FA Cup semi-final.
Police response
Afterwards, police spread false narratives blaming Liverpool fans and withheld evidence of their own failings.
Tributes to the 96 victims of the Hillsborough disaster outside Liverpool’s Anfield stadium
Steve Kelly, the brother of 38-year-old Michael Kelly, and Sue Roberts, the sister of 24-year-old Graham Roberts, during the press conference (Photo: Peter Byrne/PA Wire)
Inquest findings
Fresh inquests held in 2016 found the fans had been unlawfully killed and that police had caused or contributed to their deaths.
What will the law do?
1The law will create a legally-enforceable “duty of candour” for public officials to tell the truth to inquiries and investigations.
2The Hillsborough Law will also ensure victims of disasters or state-related deaths are entitled to parity of legal representation during inquests and inquiries.
3Bereaved families will get access to public funding, just as public money is used to support Government and public authority lawyers.
Depending on their individual circumstances, pensioners can be entitled to pension credit, council tax benefit and housing benefit or all three.
But many are either unaware they are entitled to the help, unsure how to claim it, or put off by long and onerous application forms.
Independent Age is calling on the incoming Andy Burnham government to publish a new take-up strategy to ensure all pensioners are receiving their full entitlements.
The report, based on analysis by Public First, finds that only 62 per cent of those eligible are receiving the income-related pension credit, meaning 1.2m people are missing out on a combined £2.5bn in available funds.
And some 230,000 pensioner households are not claiming pensioner housing benefit, amounting to about £1.1bn in available welfare support.
Official take-up figures of the council tax reduction benefit are not produced; however, the report indicates that over a million pensioner households could be missing out on this.
Modelling by Independent Age shows that a total of 2.5 million people are missing out on pension credit, housing benefit, or council tax relief, or a combination of all three.
Analysis by The i Paper suggests that some pensioners eligible for all three benefits could be missing out on as much as £13,000 a year.
Pension credit is worth £75 a week or £3,900 a year, while housing benefit is worth between £115 and £130 a week, or around £6,000 a year (between £5,980 and £6,760).
Older people who receive pension credit often qualify for maximum council tax support, where their bill is reduced to zero or has a significant discount. The average council tax bill is £2,400.
If 100 per cent of pensioners claimed what they were entitled to, the Treasury’s overall benefits bill would increase.
However, this would be mitigated in part by savings for the NHS and social care, as more people would be living healthier, more independent lives.
Are you missing out on pensioner benefits? How to check
Depending on individual circumstances, pensioners can claim one or all of pension credit, housing benefit and council tax reduction once they reach state pension age, which is currently 66.
Pension credit is available to anyone over the state pension age on weekly incomes of less than £238 for single people or £363.25 a week for a couple. The benefit tops up their income to that threshold.
People who reached state pension age before 6 April 2016, and saved some money for retirement, may also qualify for an additional savings credit payment. This provides extra pension credit support for people with modest savings or an income above the basic state pension. Eligible people can receive up to £17.96 a week if they are single, or up to £20.10 a week as a couple.
Anyone who thinks they may be eligible can apply for pension credit on the Government online portal, or by calling the pension credit claim line on 0800 991234. Applications can start up to four months before a person reaches state pension age.
Housing benefit helps people on a low income pay their rent and is worth between £115 and £130 a week. Anyone with savings of more than £16,000 is not eligible.
People can either apply via the same government portal as part of their pension credit claim, or via their local council. They will need to show proof of ID, rent and income in order to receive the benefit.
The Government is also working on a new joined-up service for customers to apply for pensioner housing benefit and pension credit together.
Council tax reduction helps people on a low income pay their council tax bill and depends on the claimant’s circumstances and where they live. People have to apply through their local council, with the same documentation. As with housing benefit, anyone with savings over a certain threshold is ineligible.
The report, entitled The only way is up: The impact of improved entitlement take-up on pensioner poverty and healthcare spending, also shows that 770,000 older people would remain in poverty, even if they took up all the benefits available to them.
This suggests that financial entitlements and the state pension alone are not always adequate to live on.
The number of older people in relative poverty in the UK rose last year to 1.7 million, an increase of 200,000 compared to the year before. Another one million pensioners live close to the poverty line.
The report found that three groups especially benefited from increased take-up of these entitlements.
These were: older people living alone, older renters and those on the old state pension. This is due to a combination of likely higher initial costs such as housing or energy, and a lower income.
Joanna Elson, chief executive of Independent Age, said: “Our social security system was designed as a safety net for all of us, but the evidence is clear, it is failing older people in poverty. Money that has been set aside is not reaching the older people who need it and at a time with increasing costs, the impact of this is devastating.
“Through our helpline, we hear often from older people who are having to skip meals or only wash once a week to make ends meet. This is unacceptable.”
Elson said a strategy was needed “urgently” to ensure pensioners receive the benefits they are entitled to, and that the upcoming change of prime minister presented a “golden opportunity” for this.
A government spokesperson said: “Supporting pensioners is a priority and our commitment to the triple lock for the rest of this Parliament means millions of pensioners will see their yearly state pension rise by up to £2,100.
“Thanks to our biggest ever pension credit take-up campaign, we have seen an additional 33,500 pension credit awards in 2025, worth on average £87 a week, compared with the previous year.
“We are also working to bring together the administration of pensioner housing benefit and pension credit, to ensure more pensioners receive all the benefits they are entitled to.”
Local authorities can set their own council tax levels, and the Government said it expects them to manage their finances effectively and protect vulnerable taxpayers.