Asked by: Patrick Spencer (Conservative - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make a comparative estimate of the number of pensioners claiming Pension Credit in winter (a) 2023-24 and (b) 2024-25; and how many pensioners are ineligible for the winter fuel payment in Suffolk during winter 2024-25.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
We do not yet hold data on the number of Pension Credit recipients through winter 2024-25. However, Pension Credit outturn and forecasted caseload statistics are routinely published and made publicly available via Benefit expenditure and caseload tables 2024 - GOV.UK. In 2023/24, there were an estimated 1.35m pensioner households claiming Pension Credit in Great Britain. For 2024/25, this figure is forecast to increase to 1.43m.
Looking back at winter 2023-24, there were around 108,500 pensioner households in the County of Suffolk (comprised of the Local Authorities of Ipswich, East Suffolk, Mid Suffolk, Babergh, and West Suffolk) receiving the Winter Fuel Payment but not receiving Pension Credit, and will therefore be ineligible to receive it during 2024/25. This is based on February 2024 Pension Credit statistics which are available via DWP Stat-Xplore and the Winter Fuel Payment statistics for winter 2023 to 2024 - GOV.UK
Please note that the above does not take into account any potential increase in Pension Credit take-up that we might see as a result of the Government’s Pension Credit Awareness Campaign. We do not have data on those additional Pension Credit claims in winter 2024-25 by Parliamentary constituencies.
The published Pension Credit figures refer to households, so the number of individual pensioners in respect of whom Pension Credit is paid will be higher (i.e. taking account of households where a claimant has a partner and / or dependents).
In addition, while Pension Credit claimants constitute the majority of those that will be eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment, pensioners who claim other qualifying means-tested benefits will also be eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment. It is not, however, possible to include those on other qualifying means-tested benefits in these figures.
Asked by: Patrick Spencer (Conservative - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 12 September 2024 to question 4377 on Pension Credit, what progress her Department has made contacting pensioner households that are in receipt of Housing Benefit; and if she will make an estimate of the number of pensioners her Department expects to apply for the Winter Fuel Payment in the next 12 months.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
We will be writing shortly to the approximately 120,000 pensioners we have identified who are in receipt of Housing Benefit and who may also be eligible for, but not currently claiming, Pension Credit.
As a result of the Winter Fuel Payment changes announced on 29 July, we estimate the take-up rate of Pension Credit to increase by 5 percentage points. This is the equivalent of around an additional 100,000 successful claims to Pension Credit by 21 December 2024 (allowing for a maximum of 3 months backdating to ensure entitlement to a Winter Fuel Payment for 2024/25).
In the long term, the Government will bring together the administration of Pension Credit and Housing Benefit, so that pensioner households receiving Housing Benefit also receive any Pension Credit that they are entitled to, which was pushed back by the previous Government.