Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of automating pension credit payments without an application process for claimants reaching retirement age on universal credit.

Households in receipt of Universal Credit are likely to see a significant change in their financial situation on reaching state pension age – at which point they may become entitled to retirement income such as the state pension, occupational or private pension or other financial product.

It cannot therefore be assumed that entitlement to Universal Credit will also mean entitlement to Pension Credit.

Eligibility to Pension Credit and the amount of any award will depend on a household’s particular financial and personal circumstances on reaching retirement age. This can only be established once a successful claim is made and will be based on a range of decisions which cannot all be automated.