State Pension and Pension Credit Kettering 2021-11-08
2021-11-08
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Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Direct Answer
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Context
The MP wanted to know the number of people receiving state pension and claiming pension credit in his constituency, Kettering.
How many people receive the state pension and how many claim pension credit in the Kettering constituency?
The most recent statistics show that 17,942 people receive the state pension and 1,888 receive pension credit in the Kettering constituency.
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Assessment & feedback
Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
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Context
The MP noted that despite pension credit being a significant benefit for low-income retired people, up to 1 million pensioners are not claiming £1.8 billion in pension credit, highlighting the need for increased awareness.
Pension credit is a tax-free, means-tested benefit aimed at retired people on low incomes and can be worth up to £3,000 a year with extra help. Given that many pensioners struggle with household bills, what measures will the Minister take to encourage more people in Kettering and across the country to claim their entitlement?
I am grateful to my hon. Friend for raising that point. We continue to make the case with the BBC, which I have met on two occasions, with the pension credit taskforce specifically set up to address this matter, and with the Local Government Association and energy companies. We have put great efforts into increasing the stats on valuation and take-up, but clearly more needs to be done.
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Assessment & feedback
Specific actions or commitments for increasing pension credit take-up in Kettering were not provided.
Response accuracy