Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to strengthen deterrents against people smugglers involved in illegal Channel crossings; and what steps the Government is taking with its international counterparts to dismantle these criminal networks.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
I refer the Honourable Member to the Written Ministerial Statement (UIN UCSW406) made by the Home Secretary on 30 January 2025 on the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the eligibility threshold for the winter fuel payment.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government has had to make hard choices to bring the public finances back under control. Linking Winter Fuel Payment eligibility to Pension Credit and other means tested benefits ensures that the least well-off pensioners still receive the help they need. It also ensures that the payment can be paid automatically to eligible households without the need for them to claim or to provide details of their income, capital and personal circumstances.
Increasing the eligibility threshold for the Winter Fuel Payment would effectively mean raising the prescribed rates of Pension Credit. Raising the level of the single person’s standard minimum guarantee in Pension Credit so that it matches or exceeds the full rate of the new State Pension to allow entitlement to the Winter Fuel Payment would draw more pensioners into means testing; thus undermining the rationale for the new State Pension - the full rate of which is set at a level higher than the Pension Credit standard minimum guarantee for a single person.
The primary purpose of Pension Credit is to provide poorer pensioners with a guaranteed income level, and we know there are eligible pensioners who aren’t claiming Pension Credit. This is why, since September, we have been running the biggest ever Pension Credit take-up campaign. We want to ensure as many people as possible have access to Pension Credit and the other support it leads to.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to increase the uptake of pension credit among eligible pensioners in Aldridge Brownhills.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Department’s campaign to promote Pension Credit has been running since September 2024.
The campaign has featured on TV, radio, social media such as Facebook and Instagram, on YouTube and on advertising screens, including on GP and Post Office screens.
Over the coming weeks, as part of the annual State Pension uprating exercise, around 11 million pensioners will receive a leaflet promoting Pension Credit along with their State Pension uprating letter.
We are also improving our use of existing data to target pensioners making new claims for Housing Benefit who we identify as potentially eligible for Pension Credit. We are writing to these pensioners to encourage them to also apply for Pension Credit.
The latest statistics on Pension Credit application volumes were published on 27 February 2025. This provides an update to the Applications and Awards data, including those awarded and not awarded and also statistics on the number of outstanding Pension Credit applications. The statistics provide weekly information for the period 3 April 2023 up to 23 February 2025. Pension Credit applications and awards: February 2025 - GOV.UK.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applications for Pension Credit have been determined as eligible; and how many remain outstanding in the Aldridge-Brownhills constituency.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The latest statistics on Pension Credit application volumes were published on 27 February 2025. This provides an update to the Applications and Awards data, including those awarded and not awarded and also statistics on the number of outstanding Pension Credit applications. The statistics provide weekly information for the period 3 April 2023 up to 23 February 2025. Pension Credit applications and awards: February 2025 - GOV.UK.
The most recent available data for week commencing 17 February 2025 shows there were 33,700 outstanding Pension Credit claims. The statistics on Pension Credit claims are published at national level.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applications for Pension Credit have been determined as eligible nationwide; and how many applications remain outstanding.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The latest statistics on Pension Credit application volumes were published on 27 February 2025. This provides an update to the Applications and Awards data, including those awarded and not awarded and also statistics on the number of outstanding Pension Credit applications. The statistics provide weekly information for the period 3 April 2023 up to 23 February 2025. Pension Credit applications and awards: February 2025 - GOV.UK.
The most recent available data for week commencing 17 February 2025 shows there were 33,700 outstanding Pension Credit claims. The statistics on Pension Credit claims are published at national level.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applications made for Pension Credit since 24 February 2025 (a) have been approved and (b) remain outstanding.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The latest statistics on Pension Credit application volumes were published on 27 February 2025. This provides an update to the Applications and Awards data, including those awarded and not awarded and also statistics on the number of outstanding Pension Credit applications. The statistics provide weekly information for the period 3 April 2023 up to 23 February 2025. Pension Credit applications and awards: February 2025 - GOV.UK.
The most recent available data for week commencing 17 February 2025 shows there were 33,700 outstanding Pension Credit claims. The statistics on Pension Credit claims are published at national level.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applications for Pension Credit had been determined as eligible as of 24 February 2024.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The latest statistics on Pension Credit application volumes were published on 27 February 2025. This provides an update to the Applications and Awards data, including those awarded and not awarded and also statistics on the number of outstanding Pension Credit applications. The statistics provide weekly information for the period 3 April 2023 up to 23 February 2025. Pension Credit applications and awards: February 2025 - GOV.UK.
The most recent available data for week commencing 17 February 2025 shows there were 33,700 outstanding Pension Credit claims. The statistics on Pension Credit claims are published at national level.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people (a) are eligible to apply and (b) have applied for Pension Credit in Aldridge-Brownhills constituency.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Latest caseload statistics show that as of August 2024, there were 1,359,773 people in receipt of Pension Credit in Great Britain, of which 2,086 were in Aldridge-Brownhills constituency. This data is available via DWP Stat-Xplore.
The latest available DWP quarterly Pension Credit application and awards statistics show that between 29 July 2024 and 23 February 2025, 300,000 applications for Pension Credit were made in Great Britain. These statistics are only available at Great Britain level and cannot be broken down to smaller geographical areas. This data is available at: Pension Credit applications and awards: February 2025 - GOV.UK.
Earlier, published DWP Pension Credit Take-up statistics estimate that up to 760,000 households in Great Britain who were entitled to Pension Credit did not receive it. These statistics are only available at Great Britain level and cannot be broken down to smaller geographical areas. The latest available Pension Credit take-up statistics for Great Britain cover the financial year 2022 to 2023 and are available at: Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up: financial year ending 2023 - GOV.UK.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department is taking steps to (a) simplify and (b) ensure paper copies are made available to people without online access to the pension credit application form.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government wants those eligible for Pension Credit but not currently claiming it to receive the benefits they are entitled to. We know there are low-income pensioners who are not claiming Pension Credit, and we urge those people to apply. We encourage all pensioners who may be eligible for Pension Credit to use the Pension Credit calculator - GOV.UK(opens in a new tab) to check eligibility and to use our online Pension Credit claims process.
Claims for Pension Credit can be made online at: www.gov.uk/pension-credit/how-to-claim.(opens in a new tab) The service is available to use 24/7, and provides those who may struggle to make their claim alone the flexibility to have a friend or family member to support them when making their claim at a time that is most convenient to them. Pension Credit claims can also be made through the Freephone telephone number 0800 99 1234, and there is an option to complete a paper application form.
DWP Agents and third-party organisations are available to support customers with the application process.
For customers who are unable to complete forms themselves a home visit from a visiting officer can be arranged. For customers who are deaf and use British Sign Language a Video Relay Service (known as VRS) is available and for customers who cannot hear or speak on the phone, can use Relay UK service. Further information can be found on Easy read: Pension Credit - GOV.UK.
On average, since the start of 2025, 90% of claims have been made online or via the telephone. The average online application currently takes 16 minutes to complete.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to support pensioners who are unable to complete pension credit applications (a) online and (b) by phone.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government wants those eligible for Pension Credit but not currently claiming it to receive the benefits they are entitled to. We know there are low-income pensioners who are not claiming Pension Credit, and we urge those people to apply. We encourage all pensioners who may be eligible for Pension Credit to use the Pension Credit calculator - GOV.UK(opens in a new tab) to check eligibility and to use our online Pension Credit claims process.
Claims for Pension Credit can be made online at: www.gov.uk/pension-credit/how-to-claim.(opens in a new tab) The service is available to use 24/7, and provides those who may struggle to make their claim alone the flexibility to have a friend or family member to support them when making their claim at a time that is most convenient to them. Pension Credit claims can also be made through the Freephone telephone number 0800 99 1234, and there is an option to complete a paper application form.
DWP Agents and third-party organisations are available to support customers with the application process.
For customers who are unable to complete forms themselves a home visit from a visiting officer can be arranged. For customers who are deaf and use British Sign Language a Video Relay Service (known as VRS) is available and for customers who cannot hear or speak on the phone, can use Relay UK service. Further information can be found on Easy read: Pension Credit - GOV.UK.
On average, since the start of 2025, 90% of claims have been made online or via the telephone. The average online application currently takes 16 minutes to complete.