Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Pensioners: Cost of Living

Monday 24 April 2023 · 4 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Pensioners received the largest ever cash increase to the state pension and a 300 cost of living payment.
  • High street banks such as Virgin Money and HSBC are working to promote pension credit uptake.
  • The Department for Work and Pensions is conducting a nationwide advertising campaign to ensure pensioners receive their entitled pension credit.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Kevin Foster Con
Benefits & Welfare
Context

The question arises from the need to support pensioners facing increasing costs.

Question

What steps his Department is taking to help pensioners with increases in the cost of living. Pensioners are struggling with rising costs and require additional financial support.

Answer from Laura Trott

This month, pensioners received the largest ever cash increase to the state pension and pension credit. In addition, all pensioner households will receive a £300 cost of living payment. The Government are committed to helping pensioners with the cost of living.

Answered
Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Q2 Kevin Foster Con
Benefits & Welfare
Context

High street banks have a role in identifying and assisting vulnerable customers who may be missing out on pension credit.

Question

I thank the Minister for her answer. One of the best ways to help pensioners with the cost of living is to ensure that everyone claims the pension credit to which they are entitled. What work is she doing to engage with the high street banks on their more vulnerable customers who are over the state pension age, both to identify those who might be missing out and to facilitate applications for pension credit, which can make a vital difference?

Answer from Laura Trott

My hon. Friend is right to highlight the vital role that high street banks play in interacting with vulnerable pensioners and vulnerable customers. Organisations such as Virgin Money and HSBC have worked to promote pension credit uptake. I will be working with them and a variety of other stakeholders as we build up to the cost of living payment deadline on 19 May and the inaugural DWP pension credit awareness week on 12 to 16 June.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Details about specific engagement efforts with banks are not fully provided, only that work is ongoing.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Q3 Douglas Chapman SNP
Benefits & Welfare
Context

Pension credit remains unclaimed by many eligible individuals, amounting to £1.7 billion annually.

Question

Pension credit continues to be a serious issue, with £1.7 billion going unclaimed each year. Will the Minister introduce an effective strategy in the coming year, perhaps following some of the initiatives we see in Scotland, to make sure everyone gets what they are entitled to in these very difficult times?

Answer from Laura Trott

The Department for Work and Pensions is straining every sinew because this is incredibly important to us, and to me. We need to make sure we are doing all we can to reach those vulnerable customers. We have done a nationwide advertising campaign, which the hon. Gentleman may have seen. We are doing a lot in the build-up to 19 May, and I want to work with everyone in the House to make sure we use Members of Parliament as much as possible to reach out to vulnerable pensioners in our constituencies.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific Scottish initiative details are not mentioned; only general commitment is provided.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Q4 Matt Rodda Lab Reading Central
Benefits & Welfare
Context

Many pensioners are facing issues such as underpayment, missed entitlements, and long processing times for claims.

Question

The price of food is rising by 30%, yet the Government are continuing to fail pensioners at this very difficult time: nearly 200,000 women in their 80s have been underpaid for years because of errors at the DWP; hundreds of thousands of pensioners are missing out on pension credit, as we have heard; and when pensioners do get their pension credit application in, it can take up to three months for officials in the Department to process a claim. When will the Government finally tackle this appalling pattern of failure?

Answer from Laura Trott

Labour put up pensions by 75p. We put them up by nearly £20. We are doing all that we can to support pensioners, and they know that we have got their backs.

Not addressed: The questioner's specific concerns about delays and errors in the system were not addressed.

How: Deflecting Towards Past Policy Achievements

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)