Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make a comparative estimate of the number of pensioners claiming Pension Credit in winter (a) 2023-24 and (b) 2024-25; and how many pensioners are ineligible for the winter fuel payment in Suffolk during winter 2024-25.

We do not yet hold data on the number of Pension Credit recipients through winter 2024-25. However, Pension Credit outturn and forecasted caseload statistics are routinely published and made publicly available via Benefit expenditure and caseload tables 2024 - GOV.UK. In 2023/24, there were an estimated 1.35m pensioner households claiming Pension Credit in Great Britain. For 2024/25, this figure is forecast to increase to 1.43m.

Looking back at winter 2023-24, there were around 108,500 pensioner households in the County of Suffolk (comprised of the Local Authorities of Ipswich, East Suffolk, Mid Suffolk, Babergh, and West Suffolk) receiving the Winter Fuel Payment but not receiving Pension Credit, and will therefore be ineligible to receive it during 2024/25. This is based on February 2024 Pension Credit statistics which are available via DWP Stat-Xplore and the Winter Fuel Payment statistics for winter 2023 to 2024 - GOV.UK

Please note that the above does not take into account any potential increase in Pension Credit take-up that we might see as a result of the Government’s Pension Credit Awareness Campaign. We do not have data on those additional Pension Credit claims in winter 2024-25 by Parliamentary constituencies.

The published Pension Credit figures refer to households, so the number of individual pensioners in respect of whom Pension Credit is paid will be higher (i.e. taking account of households where a claimant has a partner and / or dependents).

In addition, while Pension Credit claimants constitute the majority of those that will be eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment, pensioners who claim other qualifying means-tested benefits will also be eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment. It is not, however, possible to include those on other qualifying means-tested benefits in these figures.