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 ensure that pensioners who are earning below £11,400 are able to obtain winter fuel allowance.

Pension Credit provides extra money to help with living costs for people over State Pension age and on a low income. The Guarantee Credit part of Pension Credit tops up a person’s other income and also prompts recipients to receive a Winter Fuel Payment to a minimum of £227.10 per week for a single person and £346.60 per week for couples with extra amounts paid in respect of severe disability, caring responsibilities and certain housing costs. We want to ensure as many people as possible who are entitled to this support receive it, which is why the Government has taken action to maximise the take-up of Pension Credit by undertaking the biggest ever awareness campaign. This has included promoting Pension Credit on television, radio, social media as well as directly contacting pensioners who we think could be eligible alongside working with stakeholders and partners.

The latest Pension Credit applications and awards statistics were published on 27 February. Details can be found at: Pension Credit applications and awards: February 2025 - GOV.UK.

The statistics show that the Department received 235,000 Pension Credit applications in the 30 weeks since the Winter Fuel Payment announcement – an 81% increase on the comparable period in 2023/24 and made 117,800 new Pension Credit awards – a 64% increase or 45,800 extra awards on the comparable period in 2023/24.