AN Oldham MP has claimed more than £7 million is owed to pensioners in the town.

Oldham West and Royton MP Jim McMahon made the allegation as he hit out at the government over the increasing amounts of elderly people living in poverty while not having access to public funds set aside by the government to eradicate pensioner poverty.

Mr McMahon said: “Every year, the government sets aside £3.5 billion to go towards helping those pensioners who are struggling to get by.

"However, this money is always left unspent, and simply returned to the government. This is a pension credit scandal and the correct help must now be given to those in need.

“In Oldham West and Royton, there is more than £7 million pounds worth of unclaimed pension credit, £7 million pounds of extra funding not reaching our older people who as we go into the winter period, could really use this extra cash. The government must begin paying out what is owed.”

Independent Age, a service that provides advice and support for older people in the UK, has said it wishes to make sure everyone who is entitled to pension credit receives it by 2022.

It says: “To achieve this, we need at least 75 per cent of eligible people to be receiving pension credit by 2020 and at least 95 per cent by 2021 and 100 per cent by 2022. Pension credit can transform the lives of poorer older people, and it is vital they can have that degree of security and are able to live well enough later in their lives.”

Mr McMahon said: “Independent Age are right. But this is not a new problem, in almost 10 years, the government has failed to increase pension credit uptake at all. With the eligible claimant rate remaining stagnant at around 63 per cent, it shows the government are failing on older people.”

Mr McMahon and Independent Age claim that if the targets are met, claimants can expect to see around another £49 per week to be able to spend and look after their selves with.

Mr McMahon added: "Pension credit means that older people never have to worry about having to turn the heating off or suit in the dark for hours so they can afford to live, many older people are missing out on this and the government is failing to act. This has to change."