House of Commons · Ministers' Questions
Monday 24 April 2023 · 5 questions
Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.
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The question arises from concerns about the number of pensioners living below the poverty line.
Question
What recent estimate has been made of the number of pensioners in poverty?
Answer from Laura Trott
In 2022, there were 200,000 fewer pensioners in absolute poverty than in 2010.
How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)
A constituent named Mr Brooke, nearly 70 years old, contacted the MP because his pension credit application was denied by £2.55.
Question
Mr Brooke from my constituency is nearly 70. He contacted me when his application for pension credit was rejected on the basis that he is £2.55 over the threshold, which rules him out of not only pension credit but any other associated benefit. Mr Brooke signed off his letter to me saying: “I just can't afford to live.” What are this Government doing to help people such as Mr Brooke in that incredibly difficult position?
Answer from Laura Trott
I appreciate the hon. Lady's raising that case. I encourage her—I am sure she has already—to check whether her constituent would be eligible for housing benefit in her constituency. That is not necessarily linked to pension credit, although it automatically passports. We are doing other things to support pensioners in those situations—the pensioner cost of living payment was received by 8 million pensioner households over the winter, and will be repeated this year.
Not addressed: The specific issue of Mr Brooke's situation was not directly addressed.
How: Encouraged To Check Eligibility For Housing Benefit
How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)
The UK has the lowest state pension as a proportion of pre-retirement wages in north-west Europe, with many pensioners dependent solely on the state pension.
Question
The UK already has the lowest state pension as a proportion of pre-retirement wages in north-west Europe. Independent Age has highlighted that 5% of pensioner couples and 19% of single pensioners have no source of income other than state pension or any associated potential benefits. Will the Minister finally take action to address pensioner poverty and shockingly low state pensions relative to most of Europe?
Answer from Laura Trott
We challenge those figures, as the hon. Lady knows. I point her to the record increase in state pension that we have just introduced—10.1% for both the state pension and pension credit. That will make a real difference to pensioner poverty levels, alongside the cost of living payments that are going out this year—£900 for pensioners on pension credit and £300 for all pensioner households.
Not addressed: The specific challenge to Independent Age's figures was not substantiated with evidence.
How: Challenge To The Figures
How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)
A foodbank visit revealed pensioners struggling with the cost of living, leading to concerns about pension credit uptake.
Question
Two weeks ago I visited West Cheshire Foodbank in my constituency, where volunteers told me that for the first time a couple who were both pensioners had turned up in tears because they could not afford the cost of living and the basics. The Government have failed to fix the issues with pension credit uptake, with over a third of those entitled not claiming. Given that there are 400,000 more pensioners in poverty today than when Labour left office, why should the pensioners forced to visit the food bank in Chester trust a Government who have repeatedly let them down?
Answer from Laura Trott
I am sorry to hear about the pensioners involved. If they are eligible for pension credit and not claiming, I assume the hon. Lady is helping them. As a Department we are happy to give any assistance to those individuals. We are doing all we can to boost pension credit uptake. There was a campaign before Christmas, which I am sure she was part of, to get people to claim the cost of living payment, which we will repeat this year. We saw a 177% increase in claims just before Christmas. There will also be the pension credit week of action for the summer on 12 to 16 June, which I hope many hon. Members will take part in.
Not addressed: The issue of why pensioners should trust the government was not directly addressed.
How: Encouraged For Support And Campaigns
How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)
Ministers have been urging involvement in the campaign to extend pension credit uptake.
Question
Ministers agitated for us all to get involved in the campaign to extend the uptake of pension credit. Has the Minister any innovative plans that will make it easier for us to do so, such as toolkits and the like?
Answer from Laura Trott
Absolutely. I am also looking at what more we can do to use data from housing benefit and from His Majesty's Revenue and Customs to make it easier to target people for a claim. Working together, we can make a real difference in the number of pension credit claimants in this country.
Not addressed: The specific ask about innovative plans was not directly answered with concrete details.
How: Looking At Data Usage
How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)
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