The basic State pension has risen by just over £3 a week to £87.30, an increase in line with inflation, although some pensioners have claimed it is not enough.

The Government has promised to link the State pension with earnings in the next Parliament, following pension advice that this is a fairer system.

Pension credit guarantees are also going up – £5 a week for a single person and £7.65 for a couple, meaning that Britain’s poorest single pensioners will see their income go up to £119.05 a week, while married couples get £181.70.

But charity Age Concern has called for more efforts to make sure that older people are aware of exactly what benefits they are entitled to claim and that they have access to good pension advice.

Age Concern’s director general, Gordon Lishman, said: “Rocketing household bills over the past few years have put a major strain on many pensioners’ finances, yet up to £4.2bn in money benefits is left unclaimed by older people each year.”

He continued: “It is really worrying that some of the poorest and most excluded older people are missing out on money that is rightfully theirs because they don’t know they are entitled to it, are worried about the system’s complexity or are just embarrassed about claiming. They need support and pension advice to help them.”