State pension rises
Since the start of the current financial year, the basic state pension has risen by just over £3 a week, it has been reported.
In the 2006 tax year the full basic state pension amounted to £84.25, with the figure rising to £87.30 for 2007, according to government figures, with similar rises for married women and couples on the husband's contributions.
Gordon Lishman, director general of elderly charity Age Concern, told the Press Association that pensioners should pay special attention to ensure they are receiving all the money from the state that they are entitled to.
"With state benefit going up, it is more important than ever for older people to find out if they may be entitled to some extra cash and put in a claim," he said.
He added that billions of pounds each year are unclaimed by older Britons despite increasing household bills in recent years.
Earlier this year, the Department for Work and Pensions claimed that planned reforms to the pension system would increase the number of women entitled to a full basic state pension to three-quarter, up from the current level of 50 per cent.
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