Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Poverty: Pensioners

Monday 7 February 2022 · 7 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 7 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministerial responses highlighted reductions in pensioner poverty under the current government.
  • The government provided 144 million in discretionary funding and non-repayable cash rebates to assist pensioners with energy bills.
  • The Minister committed to ensuring high participation of older workers in the workforce through the "50 PLUS: Choices" programme.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Helen Morgan Lib Dem North Shropshire
Benefits & Welfare
Context

Pensioners in North Shropshire and across the country are facing increased poverty due to rising costs of living, particularly food and energy bills. The local Conservative-led council is also increasing council tax.

Question

What steps her Department is taking to tackle levels of poverty among pensioners. Pensioners across North Shropshire and the rest of the country are falling into poverty. Last week, a retired couple from Ellesmere in my constituency contacted me to tell me that they have been put in the heartbreaking position of having to choose between heating and eating.

Answer from Guy Opperman

I welcome the hon. Lady to her place in the House of Commons, and I welcome back the hon. Member for East Dunbartonshire (Amy Callaghan). It is good to see her back in her place—I am pleased to see that. The practical truth is that pensioner poverty has reduced under this Government. This Government increased state pension by 2.5% in 2021-22 and will uprate it by 3.1% in 2022-23. We are also spending approximately £5 billion to support 1.4 million pensioners through pension credit.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask about heating and eating choice was not directly addressed with concrete steps or figures.

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Q2 Helen Morgan Lib Dem North Shropshire
Economy Energy Benefits & Welfare
Context

Pensioners in North Shropshire and the rest of the country are facing increased poverty due to rising costs of living, particularly food and energy bills. The local Conservative-led council is also increasing council tax.

Question

What steps can the Secretary of State or the Minister take to ensure that our retired residents are not put into this dreadful position of choosing between heating and eating?

Answer from Guy Opperman

I refer the hon. Lady to the specific points set out by the Chancellor last week, namely the £144 million-worth of discretionary funding, the non-repayable £150 cash rebate and the £200 smoothing rebate on energy bills for all households. Those are in addition to the ability to claim for pension credit, which is, of course, a passport to many different pension awards in many different situations.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask about heating and eating choice was not directly addressed with concrete steps or figures.

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Q3 Stephen Crabb Con
Employment
Context

There are now around 200,000 fewer older workers in the economy than there were pre-pandemic.

Question

Will the Minister sit down with his colleagues the Employment Ministers and look at participation rates in the workforce among older workers? Some estimates suggest that there are now around 200,000 fewer older workers in the economy than there were pre pandemic. It is important that we bring out all the skills in the economy, not least to fill some of the employment gaps.

Answer from Guy Opperman

My right hon. Friend makes a very good point, as he should do, being a former Secretary of State and very wise on these issues. The Under-Secretary of state, my hon. Friend the Member for Mid Sussex (Mims Davies), has set out the “50 PLUS: Choices” programme and the amazing package of work that is available to people over the age of 50 who wish to return to the workplace.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask about participation rates was not directly addressed with concrete steps or figures.

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Q4 Jon Ashworth Lab
Housing Benefits & Welfare
Context

Many pensioners are facing an impossible choice between heating and eating. Pension credit and the basic state pension are being cut in real terms today.

Question

Will those million pensioners who do not pay council tax get the £150 rebate automatically or will they have to apply for it? If they have to apply, will he guarantee that 100% of pensioners will get that money this April?

Answer from Guy Opperman

First, I thank the right hon. Gentleman for his kind comments. I wanted him to stop there, but I fully understood why he did not. On his specific point, I understand that the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities is publishing guidance on that today.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask about automatic distribution was not directly addressed with concrete steps or figures.

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Q5 Andrew Bridgen Con
Benefits & Welfare
Context

Before the Conservative government came into office, the state pension was £95 a week. This year it will rise to £185 a week.

Question

Can my hon. Friend confirm that before this Government came into office in 2009-10, the state pension was £95 a week and that this year it will rise to £185 a week? Does he agree that this explains why there are over 200,000 fewer pensioners in absolute poverty than there were a decade ago?

Answer from Guy Opperman

Under the coalition and the Conservative Government there has been a record increase in the state pension. We have never spent as much as we now spend on the state pension—£105 billion. It has almost doubled compared with under the last Labour Government. The practical reality is that there is £129 billion when all the other benefits are added in.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask about confirmation and agreement was not directly addressed with concrete steps or figures.

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Q6 Alan Brown SNP
Economy Energy Benefits & Welfare
Context

Pensioner poverty is at a 15-year high, with 2.1 million pensioners classed as living in poverty.

Question

What impact assessment have the Government undertaken on the removal of the triple lock, and how many more pensioners are going to be plunged into poverty?

Answer from Guy Opperman

The hon. Gentleman will know that there are 200,000 fewer pensioners in absolute poverty than in 2009-10. Through the triple lock and the work that the coalition Government did and this Conservative Government have done, we have never paid pensioners more.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask about impact assessment was not directly addressed with concrete steps or figures.

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Q7 Theresa Villiers Con
Economy Benefits & Welfare
Context

The Chancellor announced a support package on energy prices.

Question

Will the Minister ensure that supporting our pensioners remains a top priority across Government? What is he doing personally to ensure that as many pensioners as possible benefit from the Chancellor's support package on energy prices?

Answer from Guy Opperman

Yes, of course, is the short answer. We are doing a huge amount, particularly on pension credit, which addresses the situation of low-income pensioners. We are working with the BBC, various energy companies, Age UK and many other organisations to get greater take-up of pension credit.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask about ensuring priority was not directly addressed with concrete steps or figures.

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