Department for Work and Pensions

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is responsible for welfare, pensions and child maintenance policy. As the UK’s biggest public service department it administers the State Pension and a range of working age, disability and ill health benefits to around 20 million claimants and customers.



Secretary of State

 Portrait

Liz Kendall
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

Shadow Ministers / Spokeperson
Liberal Democrat
Baroness Janke (LD - Life peer)
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Work and Pensions)
Wendy Chamberlain (LD - North East Fife)
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Work and Pensions)
Lord Palmer of Childs Hill (LD - Life peer)
Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Work and Pensions)

Conservative
Mel Stride (Con - Central Devon)
Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Ministers of State
Stephen Timms (Lab - East Ham)
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Alison McGovern (Lab - Birkenhead)
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State
Baroness Sherlock (Lab - Life peer)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Andrew Western (Lab - Stretford and Urmston)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Emma Reynolds (Lab - Wycombe)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
There are no upcoming events identified
Debates
Wednesday 11th September 2024
Select Committee Docs
Tuesday 28th May 2024
13:15
Select Committee Inquiry
Thursday 7th March 2024
Devolution of employment support

In our July 2023 Report Plan for Jobs and employment support, we considered DWP’s employment support provision following the …

Written Answers
Friday 13th September 2024
Children: Maintenance
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many parents are (a) making child maintenance payments through …
Secondary Legislation
Thursday 12th September 2024
Social Security (Genuine and Sufficient Link to the United Kingdom) (Amendment) Regulations 2024
These Regulations amend the Social Security (Invalid Care Allowance) Regulations 1976 (S.I. 1976/409), the Social Security (Attendance Allowance) Regulations 1991 …
Bills
Tuesday 7th February 2023
Social Security (Additional Payments) Act 2023
A Bill to make provision about additional payments to recipients of means-tested benefits, tax credits and disability benefits.

Department for Work and Pensions Commons Appearances

Oral Answers to Questions is a regularly scheduled appearance where the Secretary of State and junior minister will answer at the Dispatch Box questions from backbench MPs

Other Commons Chamber appearances can be:
  • Urgent Questions where the Speaker has selected a question to which a Minister must reply that day
  • Adjornment Debates a 30 minute debate attended by a Minister that concludes the day in Parliament.
  • Oral Statements informing the Commons of a significant development, where backbench MP's can then question the Minister making the statement.

Westminster Hall debates are performed in response to backbench MPs or e-petitions asking for a Minister to address a detailed issue

Written Statements are made when a current event is not sufficiently significant to require an Oral Statement, but the House is required to be informed.

Most Recent Commons Appearances by Category
Sep. 02
Written Statements
Sep. 10
Westminster Hall
View All Department for Work and Pensions Commons Contibutions

Bills currently before Parliament

Department for Work and Pensions does not have Bills currently before Parliament


Acts of Parliament created in the 2024 Parliament

Department for Work and Pensions has not passed any Acts during the 2024 Parliament

Department for Work and Pensions - Secondary Legislation

These Regulations amend the Social Security (Invalid Care Allowance) Regulations 1976 (S.I. 1976/409), the Social Security (Attendance Allowance) Regulations 1991 (S.I. 1991/2740), the Social Security (Disability Living Allowance) Regulations 1991 (S.I. 1991/2890) and the Social Security (Personal Independence Payment) Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/377) to reflect that claimants to whom a relevant EU Regulation applies need only show a genuine and sufficient link to the United Kingdom and not the United Kingdom social security system.
The Disability Assistance for Older People (Scotland) Regulations 2024 (S.S.I. 2024/166) introduce arrangements for the payment of disability assistance in the form of pension age disability payment. Pension age disability payment replaces attendance allowance in Scotland.
View All Department for Work and Pensions Secondary Legislation

Petitions

e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.

If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.

If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).

Trending Petitions
Petitions with most signatures
Department for Work and Pensions has not participated in any petition debates
View All Department for Work and Pensions Petitions

Departmental Select Committee

Work and Pensions Committee

Commons Select Committees are a formally established cross-party group of backbench MPs tasked with holding a Government department to account.

At any time there will be number of ongoing investigations into the work of the Department, or issues which fall within the oversight of the Department. Witnesses can be summoned from within the Government and outside to assist in these inquiries.

Select Committee findings are reported to the Commons, printed, and published on the Parliament website. The government then usually has 60 days to reply to the committee's recommendations.


1 Members of the Work and Pensions Committee
Debbie Abrahams Portrait
Debbie Abrahams (Labour - Oldham East and Saddleworth)
Work and Pensions Committee Member since 11th September 2024
Work and Pensions Committee: Previous Inquiries
Money and Pensions Service Pension stewardship and COP26 PIP and ESA Assessments DWP's response to the coronavirus outbreak Work of the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Universal Credit: the wait for a first payment Plan for Jobs and employment support The sale and acquisition of BHS inquiry DWP’s preparations for changes in the world of work Protecting pension savers – five years on from the pension freedoms: Pension scams Progress with child maintenance reforms Update on auto-enrolment and a range of current pensions issues Fraud and error in the benefits system Employment and Support Allowance and Work Capability Assessments Progress with Personal Independence Payment implementation 2014 Employment support for disabled people: Access to Work One-off evidence session on pension reforms Benefit delivery inquiry Welfare to work inquiry Pension freedom guidance and advice inquiry Tax credit reforms inquiry Local welfare safety net inquiry In-work progression in Universal Credit inquiry Understanding the new State Pension inquiry Bereavement benefits inquiry Pre-appointment hearing for the Pensions Ombudsman Progress with automatic enrolment and pension reforms Financial scrutiny of the Department for Work and Pensions Benefit sanctions policy beyond the Oakley review Progress with disability and incapacity benefit reforms Universal Credit Work Programme: the experience of different user groups Youth unemployment and the Government’s Youth Contract EU Pensions Policy White Paper on Universal Credit Automatic enrolment in workplace pensions and National Employment Savings Trust Governance and best practice in workplace pensions Role of Jobcentre Plus in the reformed welfare system Support for housing costs in the reformed welfare system School holiday poverty inquiry The work of The Pensions Regulator inquiry Executive pensions inquiry Spending Review inquiry Support for the bereaved Universal Credit and Survival Sex: sex in exchange for meeting survival needs inquiry No DSS: discrimination against benefit claimants in the housing sector inquiry Benefit freeze Overpayments of Carer's Allowance Ongoing work on DWP priorities and performance inquiry Charging for pension transfer advice inquiry Pension auto-enrolment: update inquiry Universal Credit Project Assessment Reviews inquiry Carillion joint inquiry Assistive technology inquiry Pre-appointment scrutiny of the Chair of the Social Security Advisory Committee Defined benefit pensions white paper inquiry The future of the European Social Fund inquiry Two-child benefit limit inquiry Welfare safety net inquiry Benefit cap inquiry Pension costs and transparency inquiry Disability employment inquiry Concentrix and tax credits inquiry Child Maintenance Service inquiry Employment opportunities for young people inquiry Intergenerational fairness inquiry Pensions automatic enrolment inquiry Early drawing of state pension inquiry Recent pensions policy developments The Future of Jobcentre Plus inquiry Support for ex-offenders inquiry Disability employment gap inquiry Pension Protection Fund and Pensions Regulator inquiry Personal Independence Payment inquiry Citizen's income inquiry Victims of modern slavery inquiry DWP Annual Report and Accounts inquiry Self-employment and the gig economy inquiry Benefit cap inquiry Brexit and labour market policy inquiry Universal Credit update inquiry Universal Credit inquiry PIP and ESA Assessments inquiry Pension freedom and choice inquiry Defined benefit pension schemes Access to work cap on support grants inquiry Collective defined contribution pension schemes inquiry Support for carers inquiry The cost of living Children in poverty: Child Maintenance Service Defined benefit pensions with liability driven investments Benefit levels in the UK Defined benefit pension schemes Cost of living support payments Disability employment gap Health and Safety Executive Safeguarding vulnerable claimants Norton pension schemes and the Fraud Compensation Fund Statutory Sick Pay Disability employment Devolution of employment support Children in poverty: Measurement and targets Welfare policy in Northern Ireland Assistive technology Benefit cap Benefit sanctions Collective defined contribution pension schemes Defined benefit pensions white paper inquiry Disability employment The future of the European Social Fund inquiry Executive pensions Universal Credit Universal Credit - In-work progression Pension costs and transparency Spending Review Welfare safety net Charging for pension transfer advice Overpayments of Carer's Allowance Pension auto-enrolment: update No DSS: discrimination against benefit claimants in the housing sector Benefit freeze Support for the bereaved The work of The Pensions Regulator Motability Ongoing work on DWP priorities and performance Pension freedom and choice PIP and ESA Assessments School holiday poverty Support for carers Two-child benefit limit Universal Credit and Survival Sex

50 most recent Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department

5th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many parents are (a) making child maintenance payments through the Child Maintenance Service and (b) in arrears on those payments.

The principle of the Child Maintenance Service is to increase levels of cooperation between separated parents and encourage parents to meet their responsibilities to provide financial support for their children through their own family-based arrangements where possible. Where a family-based child maintenance arrangement is not suitable we offer a statutory scheme to those parents who need it.

The Government is dedicated to ensuring parents meet their obligations to children and the Child Maintenance Service will do everything within its powers to make sure parents comply. Where parents fail to pay their child maintenance, the Service will not hesitate to use its enforcement powers, including deductions from earnings orders, removal of driving licences, disqualification from holding a passport, and committal to prison. The Service is committed to using these powers fairly and in the best interests of children and separated families.

The Department publishes quarterly statistics for the Child Maintenance Service and the latest statistics are available up to March 2024. The number of Paying Parents using the Collect and Pay service are published on Stat-Xplore in the CMS Paying Parents dataset.

In the latest quarter ending on 31 March 2024, there were 188,945 parents due to pay through the Collect and Pay service. Information on the full arrears status of those parents is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Andrew Western
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
5th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of people applying for child Disability Living Allowance waited longer than 20 weeks in Bournemouth East constituency in the last 12 months for which data is available; and what proportion of benefit decisions for applicants from residents of Bournemouth East constituency were not made within the target timeframe set by her Department in each of the last 12 months for which data is available.

The information requested on waiting times for a child disability living allowance decision is not readily available. To provide this would incur a disproportionate cost.

The current waiting period at national level for child DLA claims, under normal rules, is 86 days on average. Whilst we do not have a target timeframe, we aim to make decisions as quickly as possible to ensure that families of disabled children receive the support to which they are entitled and are always working towards reducing waiting times.

Stephen Timms
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
2nd Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing a Winter Fuel Payment for older people (a) based on Council Tax Band and (b) as a payment liable to tax.

It would not be possible to pay winter fuel payments to pensioners according to their council tax band as my department does not hold data on people’s council tax banding. Additionally, council tax band is not always an accurate reflection of someone’s income.

Matters of taxation are for His Majesty’s Treasury. The tax treatment of social security benefits is based on the type of payment and why it is provided. In general, benefits that are designed to replace income are taxable, including the State Pension. Benefits that meet specific costs, such as Winter Fuel Payments, are not taxable.

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
3rd Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the proposed saving is from the reduction in the franchise of the Winter Fuel Payment.

The savings were estimated in Fixing the Foundations as Annually Managed Expenditure (AME) Winter Fuel Payments (WFP) savings of £1.4bn, for 2024/2025, for Great Britain. These included an assumption about increased take-up of Pension Credit which is in line with the highest levels it has achieved historically. WFPs are classified as AME. Estimated savings are sensitive to forecasted take up of Pension Credit. Final savings will be certified and published by the Office for Budget responsibility at the Autumn Budget on the 30th October Budget, taking account of any behavioural response.

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
9th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many universal credit claims were subject to deductions in Aldershot constituency in the most recent month for which data is available.

The requested information will be published as part of Universal Credit Official Statistics in November 2024.

Stephen Timms
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
30th Aug 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to encourage pension credit take up in (a) Leicestershire and (b) the East Midlands.

The Deputy Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions wrote to all local authorities on 20 August. The letter acknowledged the vital role local authorities play in supporting their communities. The Government recognises that many local authorities already do a huge amount of work to promote benefit take-up. We are asking that local authorities support our national Pension Credit campaign and help us reach those eligible pensioners who have not claimed Pension Credit, so they continue to receive an annual Winter Fuel Payment.

Building on last year’s ‘Invitation to Claim’ trial, the Department will be directly contacting approximately 120,000 pensioner households who are in receipt of Housing Benefit and who may also be eligible for, but not currently claiming, Pension Credit.

We will be inviting these households to apply for Pension Credit before the 21 December backdating deadline, in order to ensure that if they are eligible they will also qualify for a Winter Fuel Payment.

As part of the last week’s Pension Credit Week of Action, we joined forces with national charities, broadcasters and local authorities to encourage pensioners to check their eligibility and make a claim.

From 16 September, we will be running a national marketing campaign on a range of channels (including Nottingham Post and Leicester Mercury, and a range of local East Midlands radio stations including Greatest Hits Radio, Smooth Radio and Gold). The campaign will target potential pension-age customers, as well as friends and family who can encourage and support them to apply.

Our future campaign messaging will also focus on encouraging pensioners to apply for Pension Credit before the 21 December 2024, which is the last date for making a successful backdated claim for Pension Credit in order to receive a Winter Fuel Payment.

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
4th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an estimate of the number of people who will be in receipt of the Winter Fuel Payment by constituency from 1 April 2025; and what the total value of the (a) Winter Fuel Payment and (b) State Pension uprating will be by constituency from 1 April 2025.

We cannot estimate the number of people who will be in receipt of the Winter Fuel Payment by constituency from 1 April 2025.

The Secretary of State will undertake her annual statutory review of benefits and State Pensions for the next financial year ahead of the Autumn Budget. This means that we cannot estimate what the total value of the Winter Fuel Payment and State Pension uprating will be by constituency from 1 April 2025.

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
9th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled You could get Pension Credit – Week of Action to drive take up, published on 1 September 2024, whether she has made an assessment of the impact of that campaign on trends in the level of applications for Pension Credit.

The department has secured funding to support increased staffing and fund our communications strategy to support our programme of activity to drive up Pension Credit claims. The latest data available shows we have received around 38,500 Pension Credit claims in the 5 weeks since the announcement on 29th July (which is up to and including w/c 26th August).

This represents a 115% increase in Pension Credit claims received by the Department in the past 5 weeks compared to the 5 weeks before.

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
6th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending Winter Fuel Payment eligibility to people receiving Attendance Allowance.

Winter Fuel Payments will continue to be paid to pensioner households with someone receiving Pension Credit or certain other income-related benefits. They will continue to be worth £200 for eligible households, or £300 for eligible households with someone aged 80 and over.

Pensioners in receipt of Attendance Allowance and on a low-income may qualify for Pension Credit if all other eligibility criteria are met. Moreover, pensioners on low incomes and in receipt of Attendance Allowance can qualify for an additional amount in Pension Credit, providing they meet the other eligibility criteria.

Entitlement to Attendance Allowance is based on the on-going need for frequent personal care and attention, or supervision to ensure personal safety, rather than on the individual’s medical condition. It is paid out of general taxation and is a tax-free, non-contributory, and non-means-tested benefit so is not affected by other income or savings.

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
4th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in South Suffolk constituency are in receipt of the Winter Fuel Allowance.

Annual statistics on the number of Winter Fuel Payment recipients and households by local authority and by Westminster parliamentary constituency are made publicly available via GOV.UK. The latest release contains data on individual and household level statistics for winter 2022 to 2023. For Winter 2022 to 2023, 24,610 people received a Winter Fuel Payment in South Suffolk constituency.

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
3rd Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people previously entitled to a Winter Fuel Payment in winter 2024-25 will not receive one due to the Social Fund Winter Fuel Payment Regulations 2024.

Around an estimated 10 million people in Great Britain previously entitled to Winter Fuel Payment will not receive it due to the policy reform. These are based on the 22/23 Winter Fuel Payment statistics and Feb-24 Pension Credit statistics (sources shown below).

This estimation is calculated by subtracting the number of Pension Credit recipients for Great Britain from the number of Winter Fuel Payment recipients for Great Britain. This is essentially the number of Winter Fuel Payment claimants pre-policy change not claiming Pension Credit, as an estimate of those who will no longer receive Winter fuel payment.

Please note that the above figures do not take into account any potential increase in Pension Credit take-up we might see as a result of the Governments Pension Credit Awareness Campaign. We do not have data on those additional Pension Credit claims by Parliamentary constituencies or local authorities.

Also, the published Pension Credit figures refer to households, so the number of individuals will be higher (i.e., taking account of households where it is a couple claiming Pension Credit).

Furthermore, Pension Credit claimants are the majority of those that will be eligible for Winter Fuel Payments, not all. There are other pensioners who are eligible for Winter Fuel Payments (as they claim other means tested benefits) but they are not considered in these figures as it is not possible to do so.

Source:

The Winter Fuel Payments statistics are published here: Winter Fuel Payment statistics for winter 2022 to 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Pension Credit data is published here: Pension Credit – Data from May 2018

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
4th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the total uprated value of the State Pension will be from 1 April 2025, by constituency.

The Government is committed to the Triple Lock, which means that in April 2025, the basic and new State pension will increase by the higher of the growth in average earnings, price increases or 2.5%.

The relevant percentage increase applied to the State Pension in April 2025 is subject to a statutory review conducted by the Secretary of State. The review will typically begin in October, once the relevant indices have been published by the Office for National Statistics. On completion of the review, the Secretary of State will lay a statement in Parliament.

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
30th Aug 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the number of households in Gosport constituency who will lose their winter fuel payment.

The estimated number of pensioner households in Gosport constituency who will lose Winter Fuel Payments is 13,577. This is based on Feb-24 Pension Credit statistics and 22/23 Winter Fuel Payment statistics, (sources below).

The estimation is calculated by subtracting the number of Pension Credit recipients for Gosport Constituency from the number of Winter Fuel Payment recipients for Gosport constituency. Please note that Pension Credit claimants are the majority of those that will be eligible for Winter Fuel Payments, not all. There are other pensioners who are eligible for Winter Fuel Payments (as they claim other means tested benefits) but they are not considered in these figures as it is not possible to do so.

Please note that the Pension Credit data is based on the 2010 Westminster Parliamentary constituencies, not 2024 in order to be comparable with the Winter Fuel Payments statistics.

Furthermore, the above does not take into account any potential increase in Pension Credit take-up we might see as a result of the Governments Pension Credit Campaign. We do not have data on those additional Pension Credit claims by Parliamentary constituencies or local authorities.

Sources used:

winter-fuel-payments-household-2022-to-2023.ods (live.com)

Stat-Xplore - Table View (dwp.gov.uk) (Feb-24 data)

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
4th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has had discussions with Ministers in the Department for Communities in the Northern Ireland Executive on (a) eligibility for the winter fuel allowance and (b) that Department's access to administrative data used for the payment of winter fuel payments.

Ministers in the two Departments have discussed eligibility for Winter Fuel Payments in England and Wales, as part of continuing engagement between the UK Government and the Northern Ireland Executive.

Winter Fuel Payments are a transferred matter in Northern Ireland, but the delivery infrastructure is provided by the Department for Work and Pensions. This includes the use of administrative data necessary to make the payments on behalf of the Department for Communities.

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
6th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of people who will be affected by the decision to amend the eligibility criteria for the Winter Fuel Payment in Arundel and South Downs constituency.

It is estimated that around 26,033 people in Arundel and South Downs constituency will be affected by the decision to amend the eligibility criteria for the Winter Fuel Payment. This is based on Feb-24 Pension Credit statistics and 22-23 for Winter Fuel Payments statistics (sources below).

This estimation is calculated by subtracting the number of Pension Credit recipients for Arundel and South Downs constituency from the number of Winter Fuel Payment recipients for Arundel and South Downs constituency. This is essentially the number of Winter Fuel Payment claimants pre-policy change not claiming Pension Credit, as an estimate of those who will no longer receive Winter fuel payment. The Pension Credit data that is used is based on the 2010 Westminster Parliamentary constituencies, not 2024, in order to be comparable with the Winter Fuel Payments statistics.

Also, the above figures do not take into account any potential increase in Pension Credit take-up we might see as a result of the Pensions Credit Awareness campaign. We do not have data on those additional Pension Credit claims by Parliamentary constituencies or local authorities.

The published Pension Credit figures refer to households rather than individuals, so the number of individuals claiming Pension Credit, will be higher. This means that the estimates provided above will overstate the number of pensioners affected by the decision to amend the eligibility criteria for the Winter Fuel Payment.

In addition to that, Pension Credit claimants are the majority of those that will be eligible for Winter Fuel Payments, not all. There are other pensioners who are eligible for Winter Fuel Payments (as they claim other means tested benefits) but they are not considered in these figures as it is not possible to do so.

Sources:

The Winter Fuel Payments statistics are published here: Winter Fuel Payment statistics for winter 2022 to 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Pension Credit data is published here: Pension Credit – Data from May 2018

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
30th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people (a) claimed and (b) were eligible to claim Pension Credit in each of the last three financial years.

The latest available Pension Credit take-up statistics for Great Britain cover the financial year 2021 to 2022 and are available at: Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up: financial year ending 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). These statistics were suspended for financial year ending (FYE) 2021 due to data issues following the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. More recent caseload statistics are made publicly available via DWP Stat-xplore. These are published quarterly. It should be noted that any numbers regarding eligibility are estimates based on the number of Pension Credit recipients in each of the last three financial years and the estimated number of Pension Credit entitled non-recipients in each of the last three financial years).

FYE

Number of recipients (millions)

2020

1.49

2021

1.41

2022

1.35

FYE

Estimated number of people eligible (millions)

2020

2.26

2021

Not available

2022

2.15

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
6th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has made an assessment of the potential (a) impact of non-take up of Pension Credit by eligible people on their ability to meet fuel costs this winter and (b) merits of providing an automatic Pension Credit assessment for people who reach State Pension age with an opt-out option for people who (i) know they do not qualify and (ii) choose not to claim.

The Government is determined to protect the poorest pensioners and target support to those in greatest need. Winter Fuel Payments will continue to be paid to pensioner households with someone receiving Pension Credit or certain other income-related benefits. They will continue to be worth £200 for eligible households, or £300 for eligible households with someone aged over 80.

We want those eligible for Pension Credit but not currently claiming it to receive the benefits they are entitled to, including the Winter Fuel Payment. That’s why we have launched a nationwide campaign, joining forces with key partners and stakeholders to encourage pensioners to check their eligibility and make a claim. Our campaign is also aimed at those who can influence, encourage and support their older family members and friends to apply.

Although it is not possible to automatically assess everyone reaching State Pension age for Pension Credit, we will be directly contacting approximately 120,000 pensioner households currently receiving Housing Benefit and who we have identified – based on the data we have – may be eligible for, but not currently claiming, Pension Credit.

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
3rd Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of all people eligible for Pension Credit claiming it.

The estimated total cost if all people eligible for Pension Credit claimed is around £7.6 billion, for Financial Year Ending (FYE) 2022, for Great Britain.

This has been calculated by adding the benefit expenditure for Pension Credit for 2021/2022 (Pension Credit claimed by eligible pensioners) and the estimate of pension credit unclaimed by eligible pensioners in FYE 2022.

As published in DWP Pension Credit Take-up statistics, an estimate of up to 880,000 families who were entitled to receive PC did not claim the benefit, and the estimate of Pension Credit unclaimed by eligible pensioners in FYE 2022 is £2.1 billion. The pension credit expenditure was an estimated £5.5 billion in 2021/2022.

Source:

Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up: financial year ending 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Benefit expenditure and caseload tables 2024 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
30th Aug 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will publish the equality impact assessment for changes to winter fuel payment entitlement.

The Regulations will come into force on 16 September, the first day of the Winter Fuel Payment qualifying week.

In making a decision on Winter Fuel Payment eligibility, the Government had regard to an equality analysis in line with the Public Sector Equality Duty requirements. However, it is not the convention for equality analyses to be published alongside secondary legislation.

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
30th Aug 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the feasibility of expanding eligibility for the winter fuel payment to include low-income households not in receipt of Pension Credit.

This Government is committed to pensioners – everyone in our society, no matter their working history or savings deserves a comfortable and dignified retirement.

Given the substantial pressures faced by the public finances this year and next, the Government has had to make hard choices to bring the public finances back under control

Support is retained for those on the lowest incomes. Winter Fuel Payments will continue to be paid to pensioner households with someone receiving Pension Credit or certain other income-related benefits. They will continue to be worth £200 for eligible households, or £300 for eligible households with someone aged over 80.

We have linked Winter Fuel Payments eligibility to Pension Credit and other qualifying benefits – but not Housing Benefit – because we can pay the majority of eligible recipients automatically based on information held in the Department.

Housing Benefit is not included as a qualifying benefit since the amount that someone receives is based not only on personal circumstances but also on the amount of their rent.

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
2nd Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the removal of the universal entitlement to Winter Fuel Payments on (a) vulnerable and (b) low income pensioners.

The Government took account of the equality impacts in reaching its decision to link Winter Fuel Payments to receipt of Pension Credit and other qualifying income-related benefits in England and Wales from winter 2024-25.

We know there are low-income pensioners who aren’t claiming Pension Credit, and we urge those people to apply. This will passport them to receive Winter Fuel Payment alongside other benefits – hundreds of pounds that could really help them. We will ensure that the poorest pensioners get the support they need.

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
3rd Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the administrative cost to her Department will be to means-test Winter Fuel payments.

The department will deliver this year’s winter fuel payments within the existing planned headcount and budget. This is due to linking eligibility to Winter Fuel with existing means tested benefits rather than means testing Winter Fuel separately.

In terms of administrative costs, in 2022/23 the Department for Work and Pensions spent £2.6m on the administration of Winter Fuel Payments. It is currently assessing the delivery costs current and future years.

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
5th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people are in receipt of Pension Credit in South Ribble constituency; and if she will make an estimate of the number of people who are not claiming Pension Credit but are eligible in that constituency.

Caseload statistics are routinely published and made publicly available via DWP Stat-xplore. At February 2024, there were 1,528 people claiming Pension Credit in South Ribble constituency.

Information relating to Pension Credit eligibility is only available via take-up statistics. The latest available Pension Credit take-up statistics for Great Britain cover the financial year 2021 to 2022 and are available at: Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up: financial year ending 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). However, these statistics are only available at Great Britain level and cannot be broken down to smaller geographical areas.

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
4th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Explanatory Memorandum on the Social Fund Winter Fuel Payment Regulations 2024, what was the (a) evidential basis was and (b) methodological process used to ascertain there will be no impact on charities or voluntary bodies from reducing winter fuel allowance support for pensioners.

A full Impact Assessment has not been prepared for the Social Fund Winter Fuel Payment Regulations 2024 because there is no significant new impact on business, charities or voluntary bodies beyond their existing obligations, because they are out of scope of the legislation.

The evidential basis was based on best assessment at the time that the change would impact individual households and have no significant impact on charities or voluntary bodies.

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
4th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she is taking steps to move those in receipt of the old state pension to the new one to help prevent financial hardship in winter 2024-25.

The Government has no plans to move people from the old State Pension system to the new State Pension system.

It is not the case that everyone receiving the new State Pension (i.e. those reaching State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016) will receive more than those under the old State Pension system. Both systems reflect the National Insurance record of the individual. Therefore, the amount people receive varies.

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
2nd Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has made an estimate of how many unpaid carers of state pension age will be affected by the removal of the universal entitlement to Winter Fuel Payments.

Carers over State Pension age on low incomes can claim income-related benefits, such as Pension Credit. This can be paid to carers at a higher rate than those without caring responsibilities through the additional amount for carers. The additional amount for carers in Pension Credit is £45.60 a week, around £2,400 a year, and around 100,000 carers receive it as a part of their Pension Credit award.


We know there are low-income pensioners who aren’t claiming Pension Credit, and we urge those people to apply. This will passport them to receive Winter Fuel Payment alongside other benefits – hundreds of pounds that could really help them.

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
5th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to support people eligible for Pension Credit to claim it.

The Department has introduced the ability to make an online claim. This is in addition to telephone and paper claims. DWP Agents and third-party organisations are available to support customers with the application process. The Department is implementing a Pension Credit uptake campaign to encourage an estimate of up to 880,000 citizens who may be entitled to apply.

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
6th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate she has made of the number of pensioners eligible for Pension Credit in Aylesbury constituency; and what steps she is taking to encourage the take-up of Pension Credit in that constituency.

The latest available Pension Credit take-up statistics, which includes estimates of the number of households eligible for but not claiming Pension Credit, cover the financial year 2021 to 2022 and are available at: Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up: financial year ending 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). However, these statistics are only available at Great Britain level and cannot be broken down to smaller geographical areas.

Last week we held a Pension Credit Awareness Week of Action – joining forces with a range of partners such as Age UK, Citizens Advice, local authorities and organisations such as British Gas to promote Pension Credit and encourage take-up. The “Week of Action” had widespread national and regional media coverage.

From 16 September we will be running a national marketing campaign on a range of channels. The campaign will target potential pension-age customers, as well as friends and family who can encourage and support them to apply.

Our campaign messaging will also focus on encouraging pensioners to apply for Pension Credit before 21 December 2024, which is the last date for making a successful backdated claim for Pension Credit in order to receive a Winter Fuel Payment.

We are working with external partners, local authorities, and the Devolved Governments to boost the take-up of Pension Credit.

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
30th Aug 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of changing eligibility requirements for the winter fuel payment on the affordability of energy for people with motor neurone disease.

This Government is committed to pensioners – everyone in our society, no matter their working history or savings deserves a comfortable and dignified retirement.

Given the substantial pressures faced by the public finances this year and next, the government has had to make hard choices to bring the public finances back under control.

Winter Fuel Payments will continue to be paid to pensioner households with someone receiving Pension Credit or certain other income-related benefits.

They will continue to be worth £200 for eligible households, or £300 for eligible households with someone aged over 80.

For those with long-term illnesses, the “extra costs” disability benefits, namely Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and Attendance Allowance (AA), provide a tax free, non-income-related contribution towards the extra costs people with a long-term health condition can face, such as additional heating costs. They are paid monthly throughout the year. AA can be worth up to £5,600 a year and recipients are free to use their benefit according to their own priorities.

Receipt of AA can provide a passport to additional amounts in means-tested benefits (notably Pension Credit and Housing Benefit) for those on low incomes providing they meet the other eligibility criteria.

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
9th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential role of (a) small and medium sized enterprises and (b) community interest companies in helping to deliver the Youth Guarantee.

Our plan to get Britain Working includes a Youth Guarantee for all young people aged 18-21 to ensure that they can access quality training opportunities, an apprenticeship or employment support. This will sit alongside; a new national jobs and careers service to help get more people into work, work health and skills plans for the economically inactive, and the launch of Skills England to open new opportunities for young people.

We have not yet made any assessment on the potential role of small and medium sized enterprises and community interest companies in helping to deliver the Youth Guarantee. In the early development stages, we will engage with our stakeholders who represent young people on the design and delivery of the Youth Guarantee.

We will set out further detail in the upcoming ‘Get Britain Working’ White Paper.

Alison McGovern
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
30th Aug 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an estimate of the number of pensioners living in (a) relative and (b) absolute poverty that are not in receipt of Pension Credit in Liverpool Riverside constituency; and if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of proposed changes to the eligibility for the Winter Fuel Payment on those numbers.

Information on number of pensioners living in (a) relative and (b) absolute poverty that are not in receipt of Pension Credit in Liverpool Riverside constituency is not held.

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
30th Aug 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of the decision to change eligibility requirements for the winter fuel payment on the public purse.

In 2022/23, 11.4 million people in 8.4 million households in Great Britain received a Winter Fuel Payment, at a total cost of £2 billion.

The Government estimates that linking entitlement to receipt of Pension Credit and other relevant DWP income-related benefits will reduce expenditure by around £1.4 billion in 2024/25 and £1.5bn in 2025/26.

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
5th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to take steps to enable people who are unable to claim Pension Credit to receive the Winter Fuel Payment.

Only pensioner households entitled to Pension Credit, or the other qualifying benefits, Universal Credit, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Support, Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit will get a Winter Fuel Payment from winter 2024/25. This approach retains support for pensioners on low incomes.

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
5th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his deadline is for writing to Housing Benefit claimants on taking up Pension Credit; and what further steps he plans to take in respect of increasing uptake.

Building on last year’s ‘Invitation to Claim’ trial, we will be directly contacting approximately 120,000 pensioner households who are in receipt of Housing Benefit and who may also be eligible for, but not currently claiming, Pension Credit.

We will be inviting these households to apply for Pension Credit before the 21 December backdating deadline, in order to ensure that if they are eligible they will also qualify for a Winter Fuel Payment.

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
4th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Social Fund Winter Fuel Payment Regulations 2024, whether (a) a regulatory impact assessment, (b) an equality impact assessment, (c) an environmental principles assessment and (d) a family test assessment was produced for the policy.

A regulatory impact assessment has not been produced for this legislation because the effect is on individuals and private households rather than businesses or voluntary sector organisations.

A Family Test assessment, an environmental principles assessment and an equality analysis were produced as part of the Governments decision-making process in line with the requirements of the Public Sector Equality Duties.

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
5th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of asking local authorities to contact every pensioner on Housing Benefit to encourage them to take up Pension Credit; and if she will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of whether local authorities have sufficient resources to undertake that task.

The Deputy Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions wrote to all local authorities on 20th August. The letter acknowledged the vital role local authorities play in supporting their communities. The Government recognises that many local authorities already do a huge amount of work to promote benefit take-up. We are asking that local authorities support our national Pension Credit campaign and help us reach those eligible pensioners who have not claimed Pension Credit, so they continue to receive an annual Winter Fuel Payment.

Building on last year’s ‘Invitation to Claim’ trial, the Department will be directly contacting approximately 120,000 pensioner households who are in receipt of Housing Benefit and who may also be eligible for, but not currently claiming, Pension Credit.

We will be inviting these households to apply for Pension Credit before the 21 December backdating deadline, in order to ensure that if they are eligible they will also qualify for a Winter Fuel Payment.

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
4th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the answer of 12 August 2024, to Question HL421 on Employment, whether a strengthened equality impact assessment has been produced for the Social Fund Winter Fuel Payment Regulations 2024.

An equality analysis was produced as part of the Government’s decision-making process in line with the requirements of the Public Sector Equality Duties.

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
5th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of pensioners who have an income lower than the (a) minimum and (b) living wage.

The National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage are hourly rates. Pensioners do not receive their income at an hourly rate. As such, the requested information is not available.

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
2nd Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an estimate of the time it will take to ensure all eligible individuals receive Pension Credit.

The responsibility to make a claim to Pension Credit is with individuals, and we can only encourage them to apply. We encourage all pensioners who may be eligible for Pension Credit to use the Pension Credit Calculator to check eligibility and to use our online Pension Credit claims process, via telephone or paper claims.

The Government is determined to ensure that the poorest pensioners get the support they need. As part of Pension Credit Week of Action, we joined forces with national charities, broadcasters and local authorities to encourage pensioners to check their eligibility and make a claim.

From 16 September, we will be running a national marketing campaign on a range of channels. The campaign will target potential pension-age customers, as well as friends and family who can encourage and support them to apply.

Our future campaign messaging will also focus on encouraging pensioners to apply for Pension Credit before the 21 December 2024, which is the last date for making a successful backdated claim for Pension Credit in order to receive a Winter Fuel Payment.

We will work with external partners, local authorities and the Devolved Governments to boost the take-up of Pension Credit.

The latest available take-up estimates Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up: financial year ending 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) cover the financial year 2021/2022 and suggest an overall Pension Credit take-up rate of 63%. The next take-up estimates covering the financial year 2022/2023 are due to be published in October.

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
5th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an estimate of the time taken for all eligible pensioners to apply for Pension Credit.

The responsibility to make a claim to Pension Credit is with individuals, and we can only encourage them to apply. We encourage all pensioners who may be eligible for Pension Credit to use the Pension Credit Calculator to check eligibility and to use our online Pension Credit claims process, via telephone or paper claims.

The Government is determined to ensure that the poorest pensioners get the support they need. As part of Pension Credit Week of Action, we joined forces with national charities, broadcasters and local authorities to encourage pensioners to check their eligibility and make a claim.

From 16 September, we will be running a national marketing campaign on a range of channels. The campaign will target potential pension-age customers, as well as friends and family who can encourage and support them to apply.

Our future campaign messaging will also focus on encouraging pensioners to apply for Pension Credit before the 21 December 2024, which is the last date for making a successful backdated claim for Pension Credit in order to receive a Winter Fuel Payment.

We will work with external partners, local authorities and the Devolved Governments to boost the take-up of Pension Credit.

The latest available take-up estimates Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up: financial year ending 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) cover the financial year 2021/2022 and suggest an overall Pension Credit take-up rate of 63%. The next take-up estimates covering the financial year 2022/2023 are due to be published in October.

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
3rd Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the campaign to increase the uptake of Pension Credit on proposed savings from reductions in the Winter Fuel Allowance.

The Government estimates that linking entitlement to receipt of Pension Credit and other relevant DWP income-related benefits will reduce expenditure by around £1.4 billion in 2024/25 and £1.5bn in 2025/26.

The responsibility to make a claim to Pension Credit is with individuals, and we can only encourage them to apply. We encourage all pensioners who may be eligible for Pension Credit to use the Pension Credit Calculator to check eligibility and to use our online Pension Credit claims process, via telephone or paper claims.

The Government is determined to ensure that the poorest pensioners get the support they need. As part of Pension Credit Week of Action, we joined forces with national charities, broadcasters and local authorities to encourage pensioners to check their eligibility and make a claim.

From 16 September, we will be running a national marketing campaign on a range of channels. The campaign will target potential pension-age customers, as well as friends and family who can encourage and support them to apply.

Our future campaign messaging will also focus on encouraging pensioners to apply for Pension Credit before the 21 December 2024, which is the last date for making a successful backdated claim for Pension Credit in order to receive a Winter Fuel Payment.

We will work with external partners, local authorities and the Devolved Governments to boost the take-up of Pension Credit.

The latest available take-up estimates Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up: financial year ending 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) cover the financial year 2021/2022 and suggest an overall Pension Credit take-up rate of 63%. The next take-up estimates covering the financial year 2022/2023 are due to be published in October.

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
5th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in South Ribble constituency received a winter fuel payment in the 2023-24 financial year.

Annual statistics on the number of Winter Fuel Payment recipients and households by local authority and by Westminster parliamentary constituency are made publicly available via GOV.UK. The latest release contains data on individual and household level statistics for winter 2022 to 2023. For Winter 2022 to 2023, 22,044 people received a Winter Fuel Payment in South Ribble constituency.

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
30th Aug 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in North West Norfolk constituency (a) received winter fuel payments and (b) were eligible for (i) pension credit and (ii) other means tested benefits in 2023-4.

Annual statistics on the number of Winter Fuel Payment recipients and households by local authority and by Westminster parliamentary constituency are made publicly available via GOV.UK. The latest release contains data on individual and household level statistics for winter 2022 to 2023. For Winter 2022 to 2023, 24,157 people received a Winter Fuel Payment in North West Norfolk constituency.

Information relating to Pension Credit eligibility is only available via take-up statistics. The latest available Pension Credit take-up statistics for Great Britain cover the financial year 2021 to 2022 and are available at: Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up: financial year ending 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). However, these statistics are only available at Great Britain level and cannot be broken down to smaller geographical areas.

Other means-tested benefits available to pensioners to enable them to receive a Winter Fuel Payment are: Income Support, Jobseekers’ Allowance (income-based), Employment and Support Allowance (income-related), and Universal Credit. Take-up statistics for Universal Credit are not available. Since the introduction of Universal Credit, it is no longer possible to make a new claim to other legacy means-tested benefits. We are therefore unable to estimate the number of pensioners who are eligible to claim other means-tested benefits.

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
3rd Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of people in receipt of the State Pension were (a) in receipt of and (b) eligible for Pension Credit on 3 September 2024; and if she will make an estimate of the number and proportion of people in receipt of the State Pension that will be (i) in receipt of and (ii) eligible for Pension Credit in each of the next five years.

Benefit combinations statistics are routinely published and made publicly available via DWP Stat-xplore. Due to the suspension of State Pension statistics, the latest available data covers the period up to May 2023. At May 2023, there were 1,228,563 people in receipt of the State Pension and Pension Credit in England and Wales and 127,219 people in receipt of the State Pension and Pension Credit in Scotland. This represents around 12% of all people in receipt of the State Pension in England and Wales at May 2023 and around 13% of all people in receipt of the State Pension in Scotland at May 2023.

Information relating to Pension Credit eligibility is only available via take-up statistics. The latest available Pension Credit take-up statistics for Great Britain cover the financial year 2021 to 2022 and are available at: Income-related benefits: estimates oftake-up: financial year ending 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). It is estimated that up to 880,000 families who were entitled to receive Pension Credit did not claim the benefit. However, from this data, we are unable to estimate how many of those who are eligible for Pension Credit are also in receipt of the State Pension.

Benefit expenditure and caseload tables are published annually and are available at: Benefit expenditure and caseload tables 2024 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). The table below shows the estimate of the Pension Credit caseload in Great Britain for the next five years. These estimates will include those who are in receipt of the State Pension, as well as those who are not.

2024/25

2025/26

2026/27

2027/28

2028/29

1,347,000

1,314,000

1,249,000

1,150,000

1,056,000

We do not hold data about Pension Credit eligibility for the next five years.

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
3rd Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to her Department's press release entitled You could get Pension Credit: Week of Action to drive take up, published on 1 September 2024, whether she has a target of the (a) number and (b) proportion of pensioners that are not in receipt of Pension Credit who will successfully apply by the close of the campaign.

No targets have been set, the Government wants everyone eligible for Pension Credit but not currently claiming it to receive the benefits they are entitled to.

DWP launched the Pension Credit Week of Action on 2 September, joining forces with national charities, broadcasters and local authorities to encourage pensioners to check their eligibility and make a claim.

From 16 September we will be running a national marketing campaign on a range of channels. The campaign will target potential pension-age customers, as well as friends and family who can encourage and support them to apply.

Our future campaign messaging will also focus on encouraging pensioners to apply for Pension Credit before the 21 December 2024, which is the last date for making a successful backdated claim for Pension Credit in order to receive a Winter Fuel Payment.

We will also work with external partners, local authorities and the Devolved Governments to boost the take-up of Pension Credit.

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
30th Aug 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has allocated additional (a) staff and (b) budget to helping to increase the uptake of Pension Credit.

The Department has secured funding for increased staffing and our communications strategy which will support our programme of activity to drive up Pension Credit claims.

The Government is determined to ensure that the poorest pensioners get the support they need. As part of the Pension Credit Week of Action, we joined forces with national charities, broadcasters and local authorities to encourage pensioners to check their eligibility and make a claim.

From 16 September, we will be running a national marketing campaign on a range of channels. The campaign will target potential pension-age customers, as well as friends and family who can encourage and support them to apply.

Our future campaign messaging will also focus on encouraging pensioners to apply for Pension Credit before the 21 December 2024, which is the last date for making a successful backdated claim for Pension Credit in order to receive a Winter Fuel Payment.

We will work with external partners, local authorities and the Devolved Governments to boost the take-up of Pension Credit.

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
30th Aug 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the (a) accessibility and (b) other aspects of the application process for Pension Credit.

The Department is in the process of modernising the Pension Credit delivery and consideration of accessibility, having previously undertaken an assessment of the application process and introduced online claims, in addition to telephone and paper claims. DWP Agents and third-party organisations being available to support customers with the application process, and ease of the application process, form core elements of our transformational design activities.

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
30th Aug 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will take steps to ensure that the pension credit application process is (a) streamlined and (b) user friendly to complete.

We are streamlining all Pension Credit application routes by using information held internally to reduce the number of questions the citizen must answer.

A key objective of DWP’s Service Modernisation Programme is to utilise end user research to understand how the application process should operate in the future and consider the opportunities on how services can be more user friendly and easily accessible for citizens.

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
2nd Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of simplifying the application process for Pension Credit.

We are streamlining all Pension Credit application routes by using information held internally to reduce the number of questions the citizen must answer.

A key objective of DWP’s Service Modernisation Programme is to utilise end user research to understand how the application process should operate in the future and consider the opportunities on how services can be more user friendly and easily accessible for citizens.

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)