NEARLY 2,200 older people in Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath are missing out on a combined Pension Credit payout of over £5.7m every year.

That’s according to research by charity Independent Age, whose campaign ‘Credit Where it’s Due’ is backed by the constituency's MP Lesley Laird.

Hundreds of senior citizens in the Cowdenbeath-Lochgelly area are failing to get what they are deserved for.

Lesley said: “Far too many people in my constituency are not getting the Pension Credit they are due and I’m urging pensioners to check their entitlement now.

“Getting by can be very difficult for older people, particularly over the winter when pensioners can be faced with the awful choice of whether to eat a meal or stay warm".

She added: “Rising living costs have, without a doubt, caused pensioner poverty to steadily rise in recent years and it’s imperative that older people claim all the help they are entitled to.”

Pension Credit is an income-related benefit designed to lift pensioners out of poverty, but it is estimated that more than two in five pensioner households entitled to Pension Credit do not receive it.

Independent Age has estimated that 2,192 older people are missing out on a combined £5,717,000 every year in Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath.

The charity is calling on the Government to make sure that everyone who is entitled to Pension Credit receives it – with at least 75% of eligible people receiving Pension Credit by the end of 2020, at least 95% by the end of 2022, and 100% by 2025.

Lesley added: “I fully back this campaign calling on the Government to be much more pro-active in getting Pension Credit to people who are due it.

“But, I would also urge constituents to check their entitlement now by calling the Pension Credit claim line on 0800 99 1234.”