Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department is taking steps with HMRC to data match housing benefit claimants with those eligible for pension credit.

DWP do not need HMRC data to match Housing Benefit customers with Pension Credit.

The government is actively working with external partners and local authorities to boost the uptake of Pension Credit and to target additional support to the poorest pensioners.

In November we will also be directly contacting pensioners who are in receipt of Housing Benefit but who may be eligible for, but not currently claiming, Pension Credit – building on last year’s “Invitation to Claim” trial.

In the longer term we will bring together the administration of Pension Credit and Housing Benefit as soon as operationally possible, so that pensioner households receiving Housing Benefit also receive any Pension Credit to which they are entitled.