Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she plans to take to support pensioners suffering from long-term illnesses who are not eligible for pension credit in the winter.

This Government is committed to pensioners. Everyone in our society, no matter their working history or savings deserves a comfortable and dignified retirement.  We will do this through protecting the triple lock, keeping energy bills low through our Warm Homes Plan, and bringing real stability to people’s lives.

However, given the substantial pressures faced by the public finances this year and next, the Government has had to make hard choices to bring the public finances back under control.

For those with long-term illnesses, the “extra costs” disability benefits, namely Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and Attendance Allowance (AA), provide a tax free, non-income-related contribution towards the extra costs people with a long-term health condition can face, such as additional heating costs. They are paid monthly throughout the year, can be worth up to £9,583.60 a year and recipients are free to use their benefit according to their own priorities.

Receipt of AA can provide a passport to additional amounts in means-tested benefits (notably Pension Credit and Housing Benefit) for those on low incomes providing they meet the other eligibility criteria.

Further, over the course of this Parliament over 12 million pensioners will benefit, with many expected to see their new State Pension increase by around £1700 as a result of our commitment to protect the Triple Lock.

We also know there are low-income pensioners who aren’t claiming Pension Credit, and we urge those people to apply. The government will work with external partners and local authorities to boost the uptake of Pension Credit. This will passport them to receive Winter Fuel Payment alongside other benefits – hundreds of pounds that could really help them.