More pensioners will be eligible for money off their council tax bills this year, but this will not be automatic.
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities is ordering local councils to be more generous about who can get council tax reductions, the Mirror reports.
Which means more pensioners are eligible for up to 100% reduction, but they will have to apply.
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Each local authority runs a scheme to give people above state pension age money off council tax if they have income below a certain level or get benefits like Pension Credit.
The government is now telling local councils to raise the threshold by 3.1% from April - the same level as the rate of inflation in September 2021.
A spokesperson for the Department for Levelling Up said: "We do the annual uprating to maintain that, taking account of the impact of inflation, year-on-year someone with a low level of income will keep getting the same level of council tax support."
If a pensioner's income has increased over the year, the idea is they should not lose out on council tax reductions.
The type of reduction you get depends on your own personal circumstances and which local authority area you live in.
You can find your local council's system, and how to apply by entering your postcode here.
From April 6, more people who were victims of child abuse in parts of the UK or who got Windrush Compensation Scheme (WCS) payments will also be eligible for council tax reductions.
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