Older People: Poverty

(asked on 24th February 2022) - View Source

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking to ensure that older people who are living in poverty receive an assessment from their local authorities to ensure that they are receiving all the support for which they are eligible.


Answered by
Stuart Andrew Portrait
Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
This question was answered on 3rd March 2022

The Local Government Finance Settlement for 2022/23 makes available an additional £3.7 billion to councils, including funding for adult social care reform. This is an increase in local authority funding for 2022/23 of over 4.5% in real terms, which will ensure councils across the country have the resources they need to deliver key services.

The majority of this funding is unringfenced in recognition of local authorities being best placed to understand local priorities, including support for the elderly.

Specifically on social care, local authorities are responsible for assessing an individual's eligibility for care and support as set out in the Care Act and, where the individual is eligible for financial support, for meeting those needs. Where individuals are not eligible for financial support, local authorities will support them, should they require assistance, to make their own arrangements for care services.

Separately, the Government has revised and expanded the Pension Credit guide on the GOV.UK website to include clear information about the additional financial support available to people on Pension Credit. Over the coming weeks 11 million pensioners in Great Britain will receive information about Pension Credit in a leaflet accompanying their annual up-rating letter including prominent messaging that an award of Pension Credit can also open the door to a wide range of additional benefits - not only extra help with fuel costs, but also help with rent, council tax, certain health related costs and a free over-75 TV licence.

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