Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent steps she has take to encourage people who are eligible to apply for pension credit.

The Government wants all pensioners to get the support to which they are entitled. That is why we have been running the biggest ever Pension Credit take-up campaign. The campaign included adverts on television, radio, social media such as Facebook and Instagram, on YouTube, on advertising screens, including on GP and Post Office screens as well as in the press.

This drive has successfully boosted applications. The latest applications and awards statistics were published on 29 May and are available at: Pension Credit applications and awards: May 2025.(opens in a new tab) The statistics show that the Department received over 285,000 applications since 29 July 2024 and made almost 60,000 extra awards on the comparable period the previous year.

Since February, the Department has also been writing to all pensioners who make a new claim for Housing Benefit and who appear to be entitled to Pension Credit – directly targeting this group and encouraging them to make a claim.

The campaign is currently live on social media, radio and in print, with further promotional activity planned for this year.