Asked by: Tracy Gilbert (Labour - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of pensioners were claiming pension credit in (a) Edinburgh North and Leith constituency and (b) Scotland on 31 December 2024.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
In Winter 2023 to 2024, there were 10,051 pensioner households living in the Edinburgh North and Leith constituency and 751,246 pensioner households living in Scotland. This is based on winter-fuel-payments-household-2023-to-2024.ods.
At that point in time, 1,659 pensioner households received Pension Credit in the Edinburgh North and Leith constituency and 125,136 pensioner households received Pension Credit in Scotland. This is based on February 2024 Pension Credit statistics which are available via DWP Stat-Xplore.
Based on these figures, 16.5% of pensioner households in the Edinburgh North and Leith constituency and 16.7% of pensioner households in Scotland received Pension Credit in February 2024.
The latest Pension Credit statistics were published in November 2024 and cover the period up to May 2024. The next iteration of Pension Credit caseload statistics will be released on 18th February 2025, as part of the DWP Benefits Statistics quarterly release. This will contain data for the period from June 2024 to the end of August 2024. Following release, the data can also be accessed at Stat-Xplore - Home.
Asked by: Tracy Gilbert (Labour - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people were claiming Pension Credit in (a) Edinburgh North and Leith constituency and (b) Scotland on 31 December 2024.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
In Winter 2023 to 2024, there were 10,051 pensioner households living in the Edinburgh North and Leith constituency and 751,246 pensioner households living in Scotland. This is based on winter-fuel-payments-household-2023-to-2024.ods.
At that point in time, 1,659 pensioner households received Pension Credit in the Edinburgh North and Leith constituency and 125,136 pensioner households received Pension Credit in Scotland. This is based on February 2024 Pension Credit statistics which are available via DWP Stat-Xplore.
Based on these figures, 16.5% of pensioner households in the Edinburgh North and Leith constituency and 16.7% of pensioner households in Scotland received Pension Credit in February 2024.
The latest Pension Credit statistics were published in November 2024 and cover the period up to May 2024. The next iteration of Pension Credit caseload statistics will be released on 18th February 2025, as part of the DWP Benefits Statistics quarterly release. This will contain data for the period from June 2024 to the end of August 2024. Following release, the data can also be accessed at Stat-Xplore - Home.
Asked by: Tracy Gilbert (Labour - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to support British pensioners residing overseas.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
UK State Pensions are payable worldwide, based on a person’s National Insurance record and are only uprated abroad where there is a legal requirement to do so, for example in countries with which we have a reciprocal agreement that provides for up-rating.
People move abroad for many reasons and may have access to their host country’s benefit system or other sources of income such as an occupational pension.
Information about the impact on State Pensions of moving abroad is available on Gov.uk.
Asked by: Tracy Gilbert (Labour - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to uprate the state pension for British pensioners residing overseas.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The UK's policy on the up-rating of the UK State Pension for recipients living overseas is a longstanding one. The UK State Pension is payable worldwide and is only uprated abroad where there is a legal requirement to do so, for example in countries with which we have a reciprocal agreement that provides for up-rating.
Over many years, priority is given to those living in the United Kingdom when drawing up expenditure plans for additional pensioner benefits.