Half the people surveyed did not view contents insurance or replacing worn-out furniture as a necessity, while older people in rural areas do not even consider carpets as a basic requirement.

Anna Pearson, Senior Policy Officer at Help the Aged, comments: 'It seems that for many pensioners, poverty is simply accepted as a way of life.'

'...my husband has a bit of luxury like a tinned soup...'

One respondent to Help the Aged’s research explains their own definition of ‘luxury’:

'If my husband has a bit of luxury like a tinned soup, which he likes, he has it.  And instead of me sharing it with him – because I love it myself – I think "No, I’ll leave it because it’ll last a couple of days, he can have it."'

The research also showed that older people found the benefits system difficult to understand. Current figures show that up to £4 billion worth of benefits lie unclaimed by older people each year. Help the Aged is calling on the Government to make it easier to claim benefits, especially for socially excluded groups.

'Some pensioners are falling off the radar when it comes to assistance from the state'

Anna Pearson concludes, 'Government must do more to reach the poorest older people in our society. Language and literacy barriers mean that some pensioners are falling off the radar when it comes to assistance from the state. By looking again at how poverty is calculated, Ministers should be able to identify where help is needed most.'

Check our top ten tips for claiming benefits