Support for Pensioners 2024-05-13
2024-05-13
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Direct Answer
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Context
The MP is concerned about providing adequate support for older people in the UK.
What steps his Department is taking to support pensioners. The state pension provides the foundation of support for older people. In the next year, we will fund more than £167 billion of benefits for pensioners—some 6% of GDP.
The state pension provides the foundation of support for older people. In the next year, we will fund more than £167 billion of benefits for pensioners—some 0.5% of GDP.
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Assessment & feedback
Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
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Context
The MP is concerned about the taxation of pensions, particularly as the personal allowance has been effectively frozen for nearly five years.
Older people should be able to retire in comfort and dignity, which is why this Government created the triple lock and increased the state pension by 8.5% this year and 10.1% last year. However, many of my constituents are concerned about being taxed on those pensions, as the personal allowance has, in effect, been frozen for nearly five years. Will the Minister encourage the Chancellor to look again at the personal allowance and allow more pensioners to keep more of their well-deserved money?
As I am sure my hon. Friend is aware, it is this Government who have doubled the personal allowance since 2010. It is absolutely clear that those who rely solely on the state pension are not liable for income tax.
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Assessment & feedback
The specific ask about reviewing the personal allowance was not directly addressed.
Response accuracy
Q3
Partial Answer
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Context
There is a growing number of pensioners who are struggling with rent, council tax and other cost-of-living increases.
We must all be aware of a growing number of pensioners who are struggling with rent, council tax and other cost-of-living increases. Given that state of affairs, does the Minister think there may be an argument that the threshold to access pension credit is too high and that if he were to lower it just a little, he would help a great many more people who are obviously struggling?
I draw the hon. Gentleman's attention to the fact that the state pension has gone up by 8.5% this year, after an increase of 10.1% last year. On top of that, for those in receipt of pension credit we have added £900 in cost-of-living payments, and 8.9 million have received a £300 top-up to their winter fuel payment. We have spent billions on supporting pensioners through the cost-of-living crisis. As we established in the exchanges earlier, pensioner poverty remains stable.
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Assessment & feedback
The specific ask about lowering the pension credit threshold was not addressed directly.
Response accuracy