Oral Answers to Questions

Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi Excerpts

Monday 16th December 2024 Commons Chamber

[Liz Kendall]

If the hon. Lady cared so much about pensioners in the cold, why did her Government leave 880,000 not claiming pension credit? Why did they first promise to bring together housing benefit and pension credit in 2011 and never deliver it? This Government are taking action—42,500 more people are receiving pension credit now than when she left government. We are determined to act; perhaps she should apologise for her failure.

[Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Slough) (Lab)]

T6. Many of my more senior constituents are concerned about their finances and winter fuel payments, especially those just above the threshold. In Slough, 1,688 households are currently eligible for pension credit but not claiming this vital benefit, so what steps is the Department taking to increase the uptake and ensure that those who are not eligible are not left out in the cold?

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Emma Reynolds)]

I place on record my thanks to the 160 local authorities that have worked with the Department for Work and Pensions to raise awareness of applying for pension credit, and also to the various charities around the country that have worked with us. The number of people claiming pension credit has doubled—a record number—and we are processing those claims at pace.