State Pension is a contributions-based benefit that provides essential financial support for over 12.4 million older people across the UK, including some 981,399 living in Scotland. However, research by Age UK has found that an estimated 1.25 million women who are claiming State Pension are living below the breadline - equivalent to one in five.
Their study also highlighted how pensioners from black and Asian communities, including men and women, are around twice as likely to be living in poverty as white pensioners - 33 per cent of Asian pensioners and 30 per cent of black pensioners compared to 16 per cent of white pensioners. Male and female pensioners who rent their homes are also much more likely to be in poverty than those who own their home outright - 38 per cent of private tenants and 36 per cent of tenants in social rented housing compared with 14 per cent of homeowners.
Many people of State Pension age could be missing out on regular payments from Attendance Allowance because they mistakenly believe they will not qualify for the additional benefit or are put off by the claims process.
