A Pounds Not Pennies for Pensioners campaign, launched by the Blackpool Gazette, has been raised in Parliament by Blackpool South MP Gordon Marsden.

Mr Marsden paid tribute to The Gazette’s crusade when he urged Social Security Minister Jeff Rooker to “get officials off their bottoms” to ease the plight of low-income pensioners.

The MP won an assurance of action to target the 2,500 pensioner households – in his constituency alone – estimated by the Department of Social Security to be missing out on benefits bringing income up to the minimum guarantee of £75 (rising to £78.40 in April).

Mr Rooker said the DSS planned a multi-million pound campaign to raise awareness of the minimum income guarantee for pensioners – with a mailshot to two million households, telephone hotline and television advertising.

At the same time, the Gazette reported on new research which it said added more weight to its campaign.

The research, commissioned by Age Concern, said trips abroad, to the cinema and even to the pub are luxuries which the poorest pensioners miss out on. It blamed shortfalls in basic state pension and income support.

The study claims that there are discrepancies of up to £80 between what pensioners receive and what they actually need.

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