Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Support for Pensioners

Monday 18 March 2024 · 10 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 4 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The state pension will be raised by 8.5% in April, after an increase of 10.1% last year.
  • The personal allowance has nearly doubled since 2010, ensuring that most of the lowest earners do not pay income tax.
  • The Government has made almost 900 of cost of living payments to pension credit recipients over the last year.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Louie French Con Old Bexley and Sidcup
Benefits & Welfare
Context

No specific event mentioned, but the question asks about general support measures.

Question

What steps his Department is taking to support pensioners. In 2023-24 we will spend over £152 billion on benefits for pensioners in Great Britain—5.9% of GDP—including a forecast £125.4 billion on the state pension.

Answer from Paul Maynard

In 2023-24 we will spend over £152 billion on benefits for pensioners in Great Britain—5.9% of GDP—including a forecast £125.4 billion on the state pension.

Answered
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Q2 Heather Wheeler Con
Benefits & Welfare
Context

South Derbyshire pensioners have been in touch with the MP following the Budget, stating that it seemed to offer them nothing.

Question

Would he be kind enough to set out today the help that the Government have given and are giving to pensioners, to help them realise that “nothing” is far from the reality of what a Conservative Government are giving them?

Answer from Paul Maynard

The state pension will be raised by 8.5% in April, after an increase of 10.1% last year, meaning that it will be a full £3,200 higher in cash terms than it was in 2010.

Answered
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Q3 Greg Smith Con Mid Buckinghamshire
Taxation Benefits & Welfare
Context

Pensioners in the constituency have contacted about the effects of fiscal drag on their modest private pensions.

Question

What steps is my hon. Friend taking in conjunction with the Treasury to ensure that we can get pensioners on modest private pensions out of tax?

Answer from Paul Maynard

The personal allowance has nearly doubled since 2010, ensuring that most of the lowest earners do not pay income tax. Around 30% of individuals do not pay tax, and any pensioner solely reliant on the state pension does not pay income tax.

Answered
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Q4 Louie French Con Old Bexley and Sidcup
Transport Local Government
Context

The question refers to the increase in council tax by £200 per year and ULZ charges to £12.50 per day.

Question

It is disgraceful that the Labour Mayor of London has hammered pensioners and working people in Bexley by increasing council tax by approximately £200 per year, and ultra low emission zone charges to £12.50 per day?

Answer from Paul Maynard

The Mayor of London seems to spend more time paying extremely expensive salaries to some of his key employees around Greater London. Of course, ULEZ has an effect on pensioners: whether they are going to the shops, visiting their family or attending hospital appointments, they will be the ones to pay the price for the Mayor's overweening ambition.

Not addressed: Increase in council tax and ULEZ charges

How: Changes Subject

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Q5 Kate Hollern Lab
Benefits & Welfare
Context

A constituent was informed by the DWP that they must renew their personal independence payment entitlement, resulting in a stoppage of PIP and an owed amount.

Question

Could I implore the Minister to intervene in this astounding case and work out exactly how this error could have occurred?

Answer from Paul Maynard

If she writes to me with further details, I will ensure that the relevant Minister is able to look into the case.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No clear commitment to intervene directly

How: Requires Follow-Up

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Q6 Steve McCabe Lab
Benefits & Welfare
Context

Over 9 million pensioners are now paying income tax, and almost 1 million not receiving pension credit to which they are rightly entitled.

Question

Does the Minister think it might be time to improve the uptake of pension credit?

Answer from Paul Maynard

Applications to receive pension credit are currently increasing, quarter on quarter.

Answered
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Q7 Alison Thewliss SNP
Benefits & Welfare
Context

A constituent applied for pension credit in August 2023 but was still waiting for the application to be resolved, resulting in a backdating of more than £8,000.

Question

Would that money not have been much better in the pocket of a pensioner who needed it right then, rather than waiting indefinitely for the DWP to get back to them?

Answer from Paul Maynard

It is not something I hear very often about pension credit. We have an excellent delivery record and an extremely low level of complaints.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No concrete measures to address delays

How: Minimises Issue

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Q8 Anna Firth
Women & Equalities
Context

10,000 WASPI women across Southend have issues due to the ombudsman's final report.

Question

Will the Secretary of State please commit to coming to the House to make a statement so that these issues can be fully aired?

Answer from Paul Maynard

I am not able to comment until the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman's report is published.

How: Defers Decision

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Q9 Barry Sheerman Lab
Employment Benefits & Welfare
Context

There is a shortage of skilled labour and an army of pensioners who could be retained if given the right incentives.

Question

Will the Minister act?

Answer from Paul Maynard

We put a lot of effort, not just through the mid-life MOT but through the older worker support in our jobcentres, to make sure that we match jobseekers to the right job for them.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No specific action mentioned

How: General Statement

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Q10 Gill Furniss Lab Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough
Economy Benefits & Welfare
Context

The question addresses the impact of government policies on pensioners, including the suspension of the triple lock, economic impacts from a previous mini-budget, and current issues with heating costs versus food expenses.

Question

Time and again, pensioners have been let down by this Government. They suspended the triple lock, breaking a key manifesto promise; their disastrous mini-Budget knocked hundreds of billions of pounds from pension pots; and their failure to get a grip on the cost of living means that pensioners are mainly living in cold homes over the winter and have a choice between heating or eating. Against this backdrop, is the Minister at all surprised that almost one in five pensioners are now living in poverty?

Answer from Paul Maynard

It is as if the shadow Minister has not noticed the almost £900 of cost of living payments made to pension credit recipients across the country over the last year. I know the Opposition have relied on last week's Resolution Foundation report to criticise what we are doing, but this is what the report actually says: 'Pensioners used to be by far the most likely to be in poverty…now they are the least likely.' This change in the relationship between old age and low income is one of the most profound social and economic changes this country has seen. We achieved that under this Government, not under our failed Labour predecessors.

Not addressed: The question about pensioner poverty was sidestepped by highlighting government achievements according to a report and criticising opposition claims.

How: Changed Subject, Criticised Opposition

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