Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support the Government is providing to women born in the 1950s not yet in receipt of (a) state pension or (b) pension credit to mitigate the financial effect of the covid-19 outbreak.

We have never spent more as a country on welfare support than we do now.

The Government has strengthened the safety net to provide financial support during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is committed to providing financial support for people at every stage of their life, including when they near or reach retirement.

The welfare system will continue to provide support to those who are unable to work or who are on a low income but who are not eligible to pensioner benefits because of their age.

We have invested in a significant new programme, the Plan for Jobs, to help people of all ages who may be made redundant find work and acquire the skills they need to return to work.