Iceland has launched a new service aimed at helping older customers check whether they’re missing out on benefits and financial support they’re entitled to.
The supermarket says thousands of pensioners across the UK may not realise they qualify for extra help with costs linked to food, housing, energy bills, and everyday living. The new scheme is designed to guide people through the process for free, including checking eligibility and helping complete forms.
Many older people are missing out on money they could legally claim.
According to Government estimates, a large number of people entitled to Pension Credit are still not claiming it. Experts say many pensioners either don’t realise they qualify or find the process confusing and overwhelming.
That’s worth correcting, especially because benefits like Pension Credit can also unlock extra help elsewhere, including support with heating costs, council tax, housing costs, and NHS-related expenses. Missing out on one benefit can sometimes mean missing several others too.
The service is focused on practical support.
Iceland says the new system is not just handing people leaflets or websites to read on their own. Instead, trained advisers will speak directly with customers and guide them through the process step by step. The support includes checking what somebody may qualify for, helping with applications, and assisting throughout the claims process.
The helpline, which is available for customers aged 66 and older for free at 0330 053 2617, is being run alongside Kinly, an organisation that specialises in benefits support for older people.
Many pensioners struggle with the application process itself.
One of the biggest barriers for older people is not always the rules around benefits, but the paperwork and forms involved. Long applications, financial questions, and confusing wording can discourage people from applying at all.
Research linked to the campaign found the application process itself is one of the main reasons many older people never claim support they are entitled to. Some worry about getting forms wrong, while others simply assume they wouldn’t qualify.
The campaign could unlock millions of pounds in extra support.
The initiative is backed by £1.8 million in funding from the Rothesay Foundation, which supports projects aimed at helping older people. Iceland estimates the campaign could help unlock more than £37 million in additional annual income for pensioners across the country if eligible customers successfully claim support they were previously missing out on.
Some people using the service have already seen major increases.
According to the campaign, customers who have already received support through the service saw average annual increases of around £5,000 after successful claims. For many households living on fixed retirement incomes, that kind of extra money can make a major difference. Rising food prices, heating bills, rent, and household costs have placed growing pressure on pensioners in recent years.
The cost of living continues to hit older households hard.
Older people are often more financially vulnerable because many rely on pensions or fixed incomes that do not always rise fast enough alongside inflation and household bills. At the same time, many pensioners are also dealing with higher health costs, increased heating needs, and growing food prices. That has left many older households struggling more than people sometimes realise.
The service is free and confidential.
Iceland says customers can access the support through a dedicated free phone line where trained advisers provide one-to-one help privately and confidentially. The company says the aim is simply to make sure older people aren’t missing out on financial support that already exists to help them.
The bigger issue is that many people still don’t know help is available.
One reason campaigns like this are growing is because charities and retailers say huge numbers of older people are still unaware of the support systems already in place. For many families, the problem is not always that help does not exist. It is that the process of finding it, understanding it, and applying for it can feel complicated enough to stop people trying in the first place.
