Cost of Living: Pensioners

Lord Woodley Excerpts

Thursday 26th May 2022 Lords Chamber

[Lord Flight (Con)]

My Lords—

[Lord Woodley (Lab)]

My Lords—

[Lord Ashton of Hyde (Con)]

My Lords, there is plenty of time. We can have the Cross Benches and then Labour.

--- Later in debate ---

[Baroness Stedman-Scott (Con)]

I confirm to the noble Baroness and the whole House that the Chancellor and his team are cognisant of the issues that the most vulnerable are facing—those who cannot work and those who are in work but wish to do better. He is clear that, as this situation evolves, his response will evolve too. The most vulnerable are at the heart of what the Government want to do, so please be patient.

[Lord Woodley (Lab)]

My Lords, Age UK said that, before the pandemic, 1.3 million pensioners in England were suffering from the “risk of malnutrition”. It adds that

“1.4 million older people … have been eating less since the start of the pandemic”

and are

“at a greater risk of becoming malnourished”.

What estimate have the Government made of the risk of malnutrition among pensioners and what are we doing about it?

[Baroness Stedman-Scott (Con)]

We have sought to help pensioners at this very difficult time. On the noble Lord’s specific point about malnutrition, if he accepts, I will need to write and place a copy in the Library for all noble Lords.