Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Cat Smith and Laura Trott

Monday 4th September 2023 Commons Chamber

[Laura Trott]

Let me reassure my right hon. Friend and her constituents that asylum seekers are given no recourse to public funds. They are given payment for their food and shelter, but they are unable to claim benefits. Pensioners in her constituency will receive a state pension, if they qualify, which for the first time is worth on average more than £200 per week or over £10,000 a year. Pensioners who have not built up sufficient contributions may be eligible for pension credits, worth on average £3,500 per year, to top up their income. They are also eligible to receive the cost of living payment, if they ever receive pension credit, and the pensioner cost of living payment.

[Cat Smith (Lancaster and Fleetwood) (Lab)]

Over the summer, I held events in villages across Wyre in my constituency. I was approached by many pensioners who are suffering because of the cost of living crisis; pension credit is just not plugging the gap. At my “Chat with Cat” event in Pilling, a constituent asked me why 400,000 more pensioners are living in poverty than when Labour left office. Will the Minister answer that question?

[Laura Trott]

There are 200,000 fewer pensioners in absolute poverty than when Labour left office.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Cat Smith and Laura Trott

Monday 23rd January 2023 Commons Chamber

[Cat Smith (Lancaster and Fleetwood) (Lab)]

20. What recent assessment he has made of the impact of inflation on pensioners.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Laura Trott)]

The Government have provided a record amount of support for pensioners this winter. More than 8 million households have received a £300 cost of living payment in addition to other support. Both the state pension and pension credit will be uprated from April by 10.1% in line with inflation. That means that for the first time the full amount of the new state pension will be more than £10,000 per year.

--- Later in debate ---

[Laura Trott]

May I remind the hon. Gentleman that under the Conservatives, absolute pensioner poverty has gone down and the state pension has gone up. This Government do deliver and will continue to deliver for pensioners across the United Kingdom.

[Cat Smith]

Around 1,800 pensioner households in Lancaster and Fleetwood are eligible for but do not claim pension credit. With the rising cost of living, many more pensioners are struggling, so will the Minister lend her support to my campaign to encourage my constituents to check on older friends and relatives to see whether they are eligible for pension credit, and to support them to apply if they are eligible?

[Laura Trott]

I pay tribute to the work that the hon. Lady is doing in her constituency to boost take-up of pension credit. I would love to work with her and all across the House on this important topic that we are all focused on.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Cat Smith and Laura Trott

Monday 5th December 2022 Commons Chamber

[Sir David Evennett (Bexleyheath and Crayford) (Con)]

22. What steps his Department is taking to support pensioners with increases in the cost of living.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Laura Trott)]

All pensioner households are in the process of receiving an extra £300 to help them cover the rising cost of energy this winter. For those in receipt of pension credit, the second cost of living payment of £324 was issued in November.

[Cat Smith]

Rural pensioners face additional challenges to the cost of living crisis, and I have recently heard from constituents in the villages of Forton and Winmarleigh who are still waiting for information from the Government on the payment of the alternative fuel payment scheme, as they are off grid. Additionally, the removal of the Bay Plus Megarider bus ticket has increased the price of bus tickets, which may not directly affect those pensioners, but where they are supporting adult children and school-age children in their households, it is impacting on their family budgets. What steps are the Government taking to support pensioners who live in rural parts?

[Laura Trott]

I recognise a lot of the challenges that the hon. Lady mentions, and this is why we are giving pensioners £850, and people on pension credit £1,500, to get through this winter.

--- Later in debate ---

[Cat Smith (Lancaster and Fleetwood) (Lab)]

What measures are the Government taking to speed up repayments to the 200,000 pensioners who have yet to be compensated for the historical underpayments in the state pension?

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Laura Trott)]

We have hired more than 1,000 people to look at that. It was a mistake and we are working as hard as we can to rectify it as quickly as possible.