Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many notifications of entitlement to pension credit were confirmed (a) in writing and (b) over the phone in each of the last two years.

The DWP provides confirmation of a customer’s Pension Credit entitlement in writing, by post, after a valid claim has been made. The DWP also provides customers with a pre-claim telephone service for those who wish to enquire whether they may be entitled to Pension Credit. This process involves the customer providing the DWP with income and capital information and using an online calculator to initially assess whether entitlement may exist. This information then enables the customer to make an informed decision whether to make a Pension Credit claim to the DWP.