Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Pensioner Poverty

Monday 13 May 2024 · 3 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 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Poverty among pensioners has remained stable since 2022-23 with a 1% decrease.
  • In 2023, 1% of low-income pensioners accessed food banks within 12 months, unchanged from the previous year.
  • The Government have increased efforts to improve pension credit uptake and provided cost of living payments to eligible pensioners.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Christian Wakeford Lab Bury South
Economy Benefits & Welfare
Context

The number of pensioners in poverty has remained stable, but constituents are concerned about economic chaos and the rise in elderly individuals resorting to food banks.

Question

What recent estimate does the Minister have of the number of pensioners in poverty? My inbox is full of constituents who are sick of the economic chaos inflicted by this Government and the former Prime Minister. Can the Minister explain why the number of elderly individuals resorting to food banks has doubled in the past year to nearly 100,000?

Answer from Paul Maynard

Poverty among pensioners has remained stable with no significant changes since 2022-23. The number of low-income pensioners decreased by 1% to 16%. In 2023, 1% of low-income pensioners lived in a household that had accessed a food bank within 12 months; this percentage is unchanged from the previous year.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not address why the number of elderly individuals resorting to food banks has doubled.

How: I Recognise The Effort That People Put Into Supplying Their Front Benchers And Back Benchers With Zinger Points

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Q2 Christian Wakeford Lab Bury South
Benefits & Welfare
Context

The number of elderly individuals using food banks has doubled, and over 2 million pensioners live in poverty. The number was 1.6 million when the Conservatives came into office.

Question

Is it not true that on this Government's watch, food bank usage for pensioners has doubled, with over 2 million living in poverty? What is the Minister going to do about rising poverty among pensioners?

Answer from Paul Maynard

In 2023, 1% of low-income pensioners lived in a household that had accessed a food bank within 12 months; this percentage is unchanged from last year. The Government are putting effort into improving the uptake of pension credit and have given cost of living payments to pensioners on pension credit.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not address the rising number of pensioners in poverty or specific actions to reduce it.

How: Always Listen To The Answer The Minister Has Just Given

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Q3 Angela Eagle Lab Wallasey
Benefits & Welfare
Context

The number of pensioners in poverty is rising from 1.6 million to 2.1 million, and over a third are not receiving their entitled benefits.

Question

Despite the Minister's bluster, Government statistics show that well over a third of pensioners entitled to pension credit are not receiving it. Why is his Department so reluctant to ensure that pensioners receive the benefits they are entitled to?

Answer from Paul Maynard

The Government have put significant effort into improving pension credit uptake, with claims received more than 80% higher in 2022-23 compared to the previous year. Pensioners on pension credit have received cost of living payments and extra money on top of their winter fuel allowance.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not address why there is reluctance in ensuring pensioners receive their entitled benefits.

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