Social Security System: Rising Cost of Living

Baroness Pinnock Excerpts

Tuesday 17th May 2022 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Stedman-Scott (Con)]

I am always grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Foulkes, for keeping me on my toes with this; he has done an excellent job, along with other colleagues. I can tell him that we have undertaken a range of actions to raise awareness of pension credits and increase take-up. Initial internal management information suggests that new claims for pension credit in the 12 months to December 2021 were around 30% higher compared to the previous 12 months. Earlier this year, we directly targeted over 11 million pensioners with information about pension credit. We will have another awareness day, and the Minister with responsibility for pensions is working with the BBC. I can tell the noble Lord that we are doing everything we can to expand our efforts to increase take-up—but I have failed miserably in getting it rebranded.

[Baroness Pinnock (LD)]

My Lords, I am confident that the Minister, like me and many others in this House, does not want to see children suffer as a consequence of soaring food prices. She may have heard the same tales from families that I have heard, of the rising cost of the weekly food shop, with people unable to pay for the quality and quantity of food that their family needs. One of the best ways of dealing with that is to increase child benefit in line with inflation and bring it forward to September. Will the Minister please urge the Government to take that essential step?

[Baroness Stedman-Scott (Con)]

I thank the noble Baroness for her contribution. I will reiterate what the Chancellor said:

“We stand ready to do more as the situation evolves.”


Child benefit does not sit with the DWP, but I will find the person it does sit with and pass on the noble Baroness’s message.