Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Support for Pensioners

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 1 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The state pension provides the foundation of support for older people, with over 167 billion of benefits funded for pensioners in the next year-0.5% of GDP.
  • This Government has doubled the personal allowance since 2010, ensuring those who rely solely on the state pension are not liable for income tax.
  • The state pension has increased by 8.5% this year and 10.1% last year, with an additional 900 in cost-of-living payments for pension credit recipients.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Alexander Stafford
Benefits & Welfare
Context

The MP is concerned about providing adequate support for older people in the UK.

Question

What steps his Department is taking to support pensioners. The state pension provides the foundation of support for older people. In the next year, we will fund more than £167 billion of benefits for pensioners—some 6% of GDP.

Answer from Paul Maynard

The state pension provides the foundation of support for older people. In the next year, we will fund more than £167 billion of benefits for pensioners—some 0.5% of GDP.

Answered
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Q2 Alexander Stafford
Taxation Benefits & Welfare
Context

The MP is concerned about the taxation of pensions, particularly as the personal allowance has been effectively frozen for nearly five years.

Question

Older people should be able to retire in comfort and dignity, which is why this Government created the triple lock and increased the state pension by 8.5% this year and 10.1% last year. However, many of my constituents are concerned about being taxed on those pensions, as the personal allowance has, in effect, been frozen for nearly five years. Will the Minister encourage the Chancellor to look again at the personal allowance and allow more pensioners to keep more of their well-deserved money?

Answer from Paul Maynard

As I am sure my hon. Friend is aware, it is this Government who have doubled the personal allowance since 2010. It is absolutely clear that those who rely solely on the state pension are not liable for income tax.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask about reviewing the personal allowance was not directly addressed.

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Q3 Steve McCabe Lab
Benefits & Welfare
Context

There is a growing number of pensioners who are struggling with rent, council tax and other cost-of-living increases.

Question

We must all be aware of a growing number of pensioners who are struggling with rent, council tax and other cost-of-living increases. Given that state of affairs, does the Minister think there may be an argument that the threshold to access pension credit is too high and that if he were to lower it just a little, he would help a great many more people who are obviously struggling?

Answer from Paul Maynard

I draw the hon. Gentleman's attention to the fact that the state pension has gone up by 8.5% this year, after an increase of 10.1% last year. On top of that, for those in receipt of pension credit we have added £900 in cost-of-living payments, and 8.9 million have received a £300 top-up to their winter fuel payment. We have spent billions on supporting pensioners through the cost-of-living crisis. As we established in the exchanges earlier, pensioner poverty remains stable.

Not addressed: The specific ask about lowering the pension credit threshold was not addressed directly.

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