Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of inflation on pensioners in (a) St Helens North constituency and (b) the North West.

The Government understands the pressures pensioners are facing with the cost of living.

In April, we uprated benefit rates and State Pensions by 10.1%, putting the State Pension over £10,000 per year for the first time.

In addition to this, more than 8 million pensioner households will receive a Cost of Living Payment of £300 to be paid during winter 2023. Further to this, the Energy Price Guarantee will be extended from April 2023 until the end of March 2024, meaning a typical household bill will be around £3,000 per year in Great Britain.