Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Pension Credit Uptake

Monday 17 March 2025 · 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 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Government running the biggest ever pension credit take-up campaign
  • Campaign includes writing to pensioners making new housing benefit claims
  • Government reports an 81% increase in pension credit applications since July

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Vikki Slade Lib Dem Mid Dorset and North Poole
Benefits & Welfare
Context

The rate of take-up for pension credit has traditionally been between 60% and 65%. Vikki Slade highlighted that an uplift in this rate could help 400,000 people out of income poverty. She noted a 20% increase in the number of over-65s in Dorset over the past decade.

Question

What steps her Department is taking to help increase uptake of pension credit? The current take-up rate for pension credit has traditionally been between 60% and 65%. With an uplift, it could help around 400,000 people out of income poverty. Additionally, in Dorset, the number of over-65s has increased by about 20% over the past decade. People have mentioned that their biggest concern is the paperwork they need to complete for pension credit applications, which can contain up to 225 questions. Simplifying and combining these applications could make life easier for pensioners.

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Torsten Bell)

This Government have been running the biggest ever pension credit take-up campaign. In the latest stage, we are now writing to all pensioners who make a new housing benefit claim and who appear to be entitled to pension credit, directly targeting them and encouraging them to apply. We are already doing a lot to simplify the process; it now takes 16 minutes on average to complete an online form, and 90% of people apply online or over the phone. However, I am interested in ideas about how we can go further.

Partly answered

How: Under Review

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Q2 Danny Kruger Reform East Wiltshire
Benefits & Welfare
Context

The Government scrapped the universal entitlement to the winter fuel payment, stating that all eligible pensioners would receive it through pension credit. However, data shows that fewer than 120,000 new pensioners have enrolled, leaving more than three quarters of a million pensioners without vital support.

Question

When the Government scrapped universal entitlement to the winter fuel payment, they said all eligible pensioners would get it through pension credit. However, only around 120,000 new pensioners are enrolled in this program. How did this happen? Is this a failure by the government or was the plan to save money at the expense of the poorest pensioners?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Torsten Bell)

We are turning around the biggest disgrace of the last Government, which was leaving the health service our older generations rely on. The current campaign to drive up pension credit take-up has seen an 81% increase in applications since July compared with the same period last year and 46,000 more awards.

Not addressed: Failure of the winter fuel payment cut policy

How: Changing Subject

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Q3 Danny Kruger Reform East Wiltshire
Benefits & Welfare
Context

The Government scrapped the universal entitlement to the winter fuel payment and said that pension credit would cover eligible individuals. However, more than three quarters of a million people have missed out on support this winter.

Question

We now know fewer than 120,000 new pensioners are enrolled in the program when around 880,000 were eligible. Will the Government release all available data on the impact of the winter fuel payment cut?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Torsten Bell)

We have already released significant data on that, showing the unparalleled success of the campaign to drive up pension credit take-up. Now we are concentrating on increasing support for pensioners right across the board.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Impact of winter fuel payment cut

How: Released Data Already

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