Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Pension Credit: Processing of Applications

Tuesday 29 October 2024 · 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 0 Partly answered 4 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Luke Evans raised concerns about delays in processing pension credit applications, with nearly one quarter of applicants waiting over 50 working days.
  • The Minister reported a 152% increase in pension credit applications since early September due to a pension credit awareness campaign.
  • Daisy Cooper asked the Government to reconsider raising the pension credit limit, to which the response was about the warm home discount scheme providing 150 for low-income households, including pensioners.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Luke Evans Con Hinckley and Bosworth
Benefits & Welfare
Context

One in four people waiting longer than 50 working days for their pension credit application to be processed, with a 152% increase in applications.

Question

I am very grateful for the Minister's answer. I put in a written question to find out how long this would take, and almost one in four people who apply for pension credit are waiting longer than 50 working days for their application to be picked up, which takes us past Christmas and into the new year. That is before the 152% increase in applications referred to in the data released by the Government, so although I am pleased to hear that there are 500 more staff, could we hear how much extra funding is going in immediately to make sure those applications are processed this side of Christmas? Otherwise, pensioners are really going to struggle.

Answer from Emma Reynolds

I am very pleased to say that there has been a 152% increase in the number of pensioners who are applying for pension credit. That is good news, and is a result of the pension credit awareness campaign that we have been running since early September. We are putting in place all the resources we can to process claims as quickly as possible.

Partly answered

Not addressed: How much additional funding will be provided immediately to process the increased number of pension credit applications by Christmas?

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Q2 Luke Evans Con Hinckley and Bosworth
Benefits & Welfare
Context

Concern about pensioners losing their winter fuel payment due to eligibility for pension credit.

Question

We on the Conservative Benches are deeply concerned about all those who will lose their winter fuel payments under Labour. Some pensioners will keep the winter fuel payment if they claim pension credit, but we know that some will not apply or will have difficulty applying. Can the Minister confirm how many people the Treasury assumes are eligible for pension credit but will not claim it, therefore losing their winter fuel payment, and what is the Treasury doing to close that gap?

Answer from Emma Reynolds

As the hon. Gentleman will understand, the estimates of how many people might be eligible for pension credit are an imperfect science—they are based on a survey. Means-testing what is a very complex benefit, as all means-tested benefits are, requires an assessment of not only people's income but their savings; it is about pensioner household units, too, so it is a complex set of procedures.

Partly answered

Not addressed: How many people will lose winter fuel payments and what measures are being taken to address this issue?

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Q3 Nigel Huddleston Con Droitwich and Evesham
Benefits & Welfare
Context

Representatives of Citizens Advice in St Albans are concerned about letters from the Department for Work and Pensions being sent out only in December to those they believe eligible.

Question

On the winter fuel payment, the Government need to think again. I recently spoke with representatives of Citizens Advice in St Albans, who are deeply concerned that letters from the Department for Work and Pensions will be sent out only in December to people that it believes are eligible, meaning that many people may lose out. We have urged the Government to either reverse the cut and make it taxable or look at raising the pension credit limit. Could the Government confirm whether they are going to look again at any of the measures that we have suggested?

Answer from Emma Reynolds

I welcome the hon. Lady to her place. I reassure her that we are writing to all pensioners—I do not know where she got that misinformation from—about the change in policy. For the first time, we are also writing to all pensioners in receipt of housing benefit to encourage them to claim for pension credit.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Reconsidering reversing the winter fuel payment cut or making it taxable

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Q4 Daisy Cooper Lib Dem St Albans
Benefits & Welfare
Context

Concern about the impact of winter fuel payment changes and measures to assist pensioners facing higher heating costs.

Question

We have also urged the Government to look at raising the pension credit limit. Could the Government confirm whether they are going to look again at any of the measures that we have suggested?

Answer from Emma Reynolds

We have also ensured that the warm home discount scheme will provide £150 for low-income households, including pensioners.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Reconsidering increasing the pension credit limit or other measures suggested to support those affected by winter fuel payment changes.

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