Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent progress he has made on banning the payment of bonuses to the executives of water companies that are found to have polluted waterways.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The opposition had 14 years to legislate to ban the bonuses of water bosses – and they didn’t. This Labour Government has done it in less than 70 days. Through our Water (Special Measures) Bill, water companies will be put under tough special measures. This Bill will give Ofwat powers to ban the payment of performance-related pay including bonuses to chief executives and senior leadership of water companies, unless they meet high standards when it comes to protecting the environment, their consumers, financial resilience and criminal liability.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to help mitigate the potential impact of the withdrawal of Winter Fuel Payments on disabled non-Pension Credit recipient pensioners.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

Disability benefits provide a tax free, non-income-related contribution towards the extra costs people with a long-term health condition or disabilities can face, such as additional heating costs.

Attendance Allowance can be worth up to £5,600 a year. 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.

Pensioners in receipt of Attendance Allowance and on a low-income may qualify for Pension Credit including an additional amount for disability providing they meet the other eligibility criteria.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions , what steps she is taking to help mitigate the potential impact of the withdrawal of Winter Fuel Payments on low income non-Pension Credit recipient pensioners.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

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.

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.

The State Pension is the foundation of income in retirement and will remain so protecting 12 million pensioners through the triple lock. Based on current forecasts, the full rate of the new state pension is set to increase by around £1,700 over the course of this Parliament.

We are also providing support for pensioners through our Warm Homes Plan which will support investment in insulation and low carbon heating – upgrading millions of homes over this Parliament. Our long-term plan will protect billpayers permanently, reduce fuel poverty, and get the UK back on track to meet our climate goals.

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.