Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to increase Pension Credit uptake through public awareness campaigns.
In February last year we launched a national campaign to raise awareness of Pension Credit and help dispel some of the misconceptions that people might have about Pension Credit eligibility.
DWP have reviewed both internal guidance for customer-facing colleagues and external communications products across a wide range of DWP benefits and services for citizens at or approaching Pension Credit age. We have identified changes that could be made subject to user research and testing. Further work is also under way that aims to improve the cross-promotion of benefits over the longer term.
DWP also continues to work closely with stakeholders such as Age Concern, the CAB, Independent Age, Money Saving Expert and the Money and Pension Service, as this is the most effect way to reach likely Pension Credit claimants. We would encourage anyone who thinks they might be eligible for Pension Credit to visit gov.uk.