Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Simon Opher and Torsten Bell

Monday 17th March 2025 Commons Chamber

[Dr Simon Opher (Stroud) (Lab)]

T9. Pension credit claims, as we have heard, have increased by 64%, and I commend the Minister and the Department for making that happen, as well as Citizens Advice in Stroud and bureaux throughout the country. However, there are 800,000 people who earn just above that limit and live in poverty. I wonder whether, when a fiscal situation arises, the Government will review the cap, and indeed the gradient of this benefit.

[The Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Torsten Bell)]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right to highlight both the progress that has been made and the hard work of the voluntary sector, including citizens advice bureaux across the country. We must continue recent progress, and we shall certainly do so. I would like to highlight that our support for pensioners goes far wider, including the 4.1% increase to the state pension and to the level of pension credit, as my hon. Friend mentioned, in just a few weeks’ time.