BARNSLEY East MP Stephanie Peacock spoke in Parliament urging residents to see if they’re eligible for pension credit.

She said that a number of her constituents miss out on the payment.

“Many Barnsley pensioners would be better off on pension credit so why won’t the government automatically enrol all pensioners to help lift them out of poverty?

“Many pensioners in Barnsley are entitled to pension credit but miss out.

“To check if you are eligible you can call 0800 731 7898.”

In response Laura Trott, Tory MP for Sevenoaks, said: “It’s a complicated system which involves people’s savings as well, so it’s not possible with the information that the government has to be able to automatically award it.

“We are looking at what we can do, working with local authorities and others to try and speed up the delivery of the payments.”