Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Pension Credit Uptake

Monday 1 September 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 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Christine Jardine raised a case about a constituent facing delays in receiving pension credit.
  • The Minister responded by inviting Jardine to write with details of the case.
  • Juliet Campbell questioned the pension withdrawal policies affecting Boots employees in her constituency.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Christine Jardine Lib Dem Edinburgh West
Benefits & Welfare
Context

A constituent of Christine Jardine's experienced a delay in receiving pension credit, going without support when she lost her winter fuel allowance. This highlights broader concerns about delays and their impact on vulnerable pensioners.

Question

Earlier this year, a constituent of mine in Edinburgh West contacted me about the delay she had faced in getting the pension credit she was entitled to. She applied in September last year and was told that she would receive it in November, but it was March before she got her pension credit awarded. The delay meant that she went without extra support just when she lost her winter fuel allowance, so what steps will the Minister take to cut those delays and stop more vulnerable pensioners from being left cold this winter?

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

I hope the hon. Member will write to me with the details of the case she raised. On the more general picture, I can reassure her that we now have a lower backlog of pension credit cases to be processed than we inherited from the last Government, despite the record number of claims that have come through.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific steps to reduce delays in processing pension credit applications were not addressed.

How: Reassurance, Comparison With Previous Government

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Q2 Juliet Campbell Lab Broxtowe
Benefits & Welfare
Context

Many pensioners at Boots have been advised that they will be unable to withdraw their pension at an unreduced rate at the age of 60, contrary to what was previously promised. This has caused significant frustration among these pensioners.

Question

Boots has been a significant employer in my constituency since 1927, and many of my constituents have been proud to work for it. However, those close to claiming their pensions have been advised that they will be unable to withdraw their pension at an unreduced rate at the age of 60, contrary to what they were led to believe. Does the Minister recognise the frustration that many of the Boots pensioners feel, and does he agree that the Pensions Ombudsman should progress swiftly with its process?

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

My hon. Friend has raised this matter with me before, and the one thing I can confirm is that she is a powerful advocate for her constituents on this very important issue for them. As she knows, I cannot comment on individual cases—particularly as the matter is now with the Pensions Ombudsman—but more generally, it is important that promises made to pensioners about their pensions are lived up to. Making sure that happens is exactly why the Pensions Ombudsman exists.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not acknowledge the specific frustrations of Boots pensioners or commit to speeding up the process for resolving these issues.

How: Acknowledgment, Reference To Legal Procedure

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