Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Pensioners: Cost of Living

Tuesday 8 April 2025 · 2 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

  • Anna Sabine inquired about outstanding casework concerning winter fuel payments and shared a constituent's struggle to stay warm during winter.
  • Chris Vince praised the 4.1% increase in the new state pension and asked about additional government actions to address the cost of living crisis.
  • The Government highlighted measures such as raising the state pension, extending the warm home discount, and increasing access to pension credit.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Anna Sabine Lib Dem Frome and East Somerset
Energy Benefits & Welfare
Context

The MP referenced a constituent who sent an email with a photo showing her home temperature at 15°C, highlighting the struggle to stay warm during winter due to high energy bills.

Question

I have 250 pieces of outstanding casework relating to the winter fuel payment. An elderly constituent emailed me during the winter, enclosing a picture showing that her thermometer was at 15° and saying that she had to remain in bed for as long as possible each day to stay warm. Given that energy bills are now increasing, does the Minister agree that the decision to cut the winter fuel payment has already had serious consequences for the welfare of pensioners throughout the country?

Answer from Torsten Bell (The Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury)

What the Government are doing is raising the state pension, extending the warm home discount, and ensuring that an extra 50,000 people have had access to pension credit over the last six months. When Members talk about mistakes that have had lasting consequences for pensioners, I look back to the coalition Government’s decision to cut the rate of energy installations by 90%. Pensioners are living with that legacy, in leaky homes, day in day out, but this Government are getting on with insulating homes throughout the country.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Cutting the winter fuel payment

How: Looking Back To Coalition Government'S Decision

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Q2 Chris Vince Labour (Co-op) Harlow
Economy Benefits & Welfare
Context

The MP noted that a 4.1% increase in the new state pension would significantly help pensioners but asked for further actions to address the cost of living crisis inherited from the previous government.

Question

The 4.1% increase in the new state pension will make a huge difference to pensioners in my constituency. What more are the Government doing to tackle the cost of living crisis left by the last Government?

Answer from Torsten Bell (The Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury)

I thank my hon. Friend for being a regular attender at Treasury questions, and indeed, as far as I can work out, at every other departmental questions session. He is right to suggest that we will do more, because we are not just increasing pensions above the rate of inflation this year but doing so throughout the current Parliament, and that should raise the state pension by up to £1,900 by the end of the Parliament.

Answered
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