The basic state pension will rise today, from £90.70 to £95.25 per week. The pension credit is also due to go up, with ministers promising that no single pensioner need live on less than £130 a week and a couple on no less than £198 a week.
But the UK government was attacked by pensioners' groups for not going far enough.
The National Pensioners Convention, an umbrella group representing more than 1,000 small organisations, pointed out that those who had not contributed enough in National Insurance over their working lives – mainly women – would only see their pensions rise by £2.70 a week.
Dot Gibson, the general secretary of the Convention, said: "It's a national disgrace that at least one in four pensioners are living below the official poverty line, and millions more are struggling to meet the rising costs of living.
"Today's increase in the basic state pension doesn't go any way near far enough to help protect pensioners against the economic crisis."