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Campaigners have renewed calls to end a "punishing" mixed-age couples rule, locking thousands of pensioners out of financial support. National charity Independent Age and 12 other organisations have written an open letter to work and pensions minister Pat McFadden, urging the Government to scrap the rule preventing low-income couples from accessing certain benefits until both reach state pension age.

Charities estimate that around 70,000 couples could be affected and are £7,000 worse off as a result each year. Joanna Elson CBE, chief executive at Independent Age, said: "Every day we hear from older people struggling to make ends meet, and for thousands of mixed-age couples, the system is making that struggle even harder. This rule is unfairly locking around 70,000 older people out of vital pension-age support simply because their partner is younger."

She added: "The financial support they are missing out on could be the difference between heating and eating or paying the rent."

New polling from Independent Age suggests a large public backing to end the rule, with 62% saying that couples where one person is over state pension age should be able to claim pension-age entitlements, such as Pension Credit.

Data from 2019 shows that 12% of couples who could be eligible for Pension Credit have an age gap of more than 10 years, meaning the older partner may have to wait a long time to access pensioner entitlements, adding to their financial strain.

While couples in this situation are eligible to receive Universal Credit, this is paid at a lower rate and is not designed to meet the needs of people over state pension age.

In the letter, the organisations say the issue is urgent. It reads: "Nobody should be punished financially because of who they love. Yet as many as 70,000 older people are missing out on the financial safety net designed to protect pensioners, just because of their partner's age. This is urgent.

"With the incoming rise in State Pension age, more and more couples on a low income will face an even longer wait to receive the entitlements they need due to the mixed-age couples rule."

It also expressed concern over "the assumption that all younger partners are able to be financially responsible for their household."

It adds that this "does not reflect reality for many couples. In lots of cases, a younger partner will have health conditions or unpaid caring responsibilities that could mean they are unable to work."

One couple from Eastbourne's five-year age gap meant they had to "turn to a food bank" to get by after being refused Pension Credit.

Lynn, 62, said: "David and I met on a blind date. We've been married for nearly 24 years. Although David is my full-time carer, we've had a hard time getting any financial support because he's five years older than me.

"We used to receive Employment and Support Allowance, but once my husband reached State Pension age, it stopped."

After being advised to apply for Pension Credit, support ended within seven months, along with new instructions to apply for Universal Credit instead.

She said: "We got a letter saying there had been a mistake and we weren't entitled to it because we are a mixed-age couple.

"All this happened when we were in the middle of moving house and our Pension Credit payment was due. I remember thinking, 'Now what are we going to do?' and being so worried as we literally had no money for our move.

"For the first time ever, we had to turn to a food bank to get by. If it wasn't for our children, I don't know what we'd have done. They helped us get through this very stressful time in our lives."

Jan Shortt, general secretary of the National Pensioners Convention, said: "To treat people differently on the basis of who they fall in love with is nonsense.

"Mixed-age couples are suffering financially because they cannot access the support they need. Decisions made by the Government penalise mixed-age couples, and this must be addressed to enable them to be financially secure in the future."

Ms Elson CBE added: "The UK Government has created a flawed system where two people of the same age can be treated completely differently depending on who they love.

"Twelve organisations have joined us in calling on the UK Government to act now and scrap the mixed-age couples rule, to ensure all older people on a low income get the financial security and dignity they deserve once they reach pension age."

The organisations that have signed the letter alongside Independent Age include Age Scotland, Ageing Without Children (AWOC), Age UK, Civil Service Pensioners Alliance, National Federation of Occupational Pensioners, Northern Irish Commissioner, National Pensioners Convention (NPC), Re-engage, Unison Retired Members, National Association of Retired Police Officers (NARPO), Welsh Older People's Commissioner, and Wise Age.