Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if her Department will make an assessment of the adequacy of financial support available to unpaid carers in Bedfordshire.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Unpaid carers play a vital role in supporting elderly or disabled relatives or friends. Sometimes unpaid carers will need to turn to the benefit system for financial support, so it is right that we keep Carer’s Allowance under review, to see if it is meeting its objectives, and giving unpaid carers the help and support they need and deserve.
Unpaid carers may be able to receive financial and/or employment support from the department depending on their circumstances. Carer’s Allowance provides a measure of financial support and recognition for people who are not able to work full time due to their caring responsibilities. The rate of Carer’s Allowance is £81.90 a week in 2024/25, and from April 2025 this will increase by 1.7% to £83.30 a week, net of allowable expenses.
Spending on Carer’s Allowance in the mid-Bedfordshire parliamentary constituency in 2023/4 was £3.6 million. 912 people in mid-Bedfordshire were in receipt of Carer’s Allowance in May ’24.
In addition to Carer’s Allowance, carers on low incomes can claim income-related benefits, such as Universal Credit and Pension Credit. These benefits can be paid to carers at a higher rate than those without caring responsibilities through the carer element and the additional amount for carers respectively. Currently, the Universal Credit carer element is £198.31 per monthly assessment period. The additional amount for a carer in Pension Credit is £45.60 a week. These additional amounts are worth around £2400 a year.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the support available to pensioners (a) this winter and (b) in winter 2023/24.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
From 2024/25, Winter Fuel Payments in England and Wales will be targeted to low-income pensioners. 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 households with someone aged 66-79, or £300 for eligible households with someone aged 80 or over.
Eligible pensioners in England and Wales will also receive Cold Weather Payments for each seven day period of very cold weather, and an annual rebate on their energy bill of £150, through the Warm Home Discount.
The powers to make winter heating assistance payments were devolved to the Scottish Parliament under the Scotland Act 2016.
The Government is investing £421 million to extend the current Household Support Fund in England for six months, running from 1 October 2024 until 31 March 2025. In addition, at the Autumn Budget 2024, the Government announced that £1 billion, including Barnett impact, will be invested to extend the Household Support Fund in England by a full year until 31 March 2026.
This Government remains absolutely committed to supporting pensioners and giving them the dignity and security they deserve in retirement. We are honouring our commitment to the Triple Lock with a 4.1% increase to the basic State Pension, the new State Pension, and to the standard minimum guarantee in Pension Credit. As such, according to the latest OBR projections, the full yearly rate of the new State Pension is forecast to increase by around £1,900 over the course of this parliament whilst the full yearly amount of the basic State Pension is forecast to increase by around £1,500.
In 2023/24, Winter Fuel Payments were universal for those of State Pension age. Pensioner households received a Winter Fuel Payment combined with a cost of living payment of £500 / £600 depending on age. Cold Weather Payments and rebates from the Warm Home Discount Scheme were also payable in 2023/24.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of Age UK's Equality Impact Assessment on the Winter Fuel Payment.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
An equality analysis was produced as part of Ministerial decision making in line with the requirements of the Public Sector Equality Duty. This was published on 13th September. By convention, such analyses are not published alongside secondary legislation. However, in view of the close public interest in this issue Ministers decided, exceptionally, to publish in this case.
Our commitment to the Triple Lock means that both the basic and new State Pensions will increase in line with the highest of earnings growth, price inflation or 2.5% in each year of this Parliament. This will benefit over 12 million pensioners.
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.
Since September the Department has been running a campaign to raise awareness of Pension Credit. This national marketing campaign is running on a range of channels, including national and local print media and radio. The campaign also highlights that a successful backdated claim for Pension Credit made by 21 December will also qualify a pensioner for a Winter Fuel Payment, as long as they satisfy the other eligibility criteria.
The Household Support Fund is also being extended for a further six months, from 1 October 2024 until 31 March 2025. An additional £421 million will be provided to enable the extension of the HSF in England, plus funding for the Devolved Governments through the Barnett formula to be spent at their discretion, as usual.
The Warm Home Discount scheme in England and Wales provides eligible low-income households across Great Britain with a £150 rebate on their electricity bill. This winter, we expect over three million households, including over one million pensioners, to benefit under the scheme.