Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to encourage greater take-up of Pension Credit among families that are eligible to receive that benefit.

Pension Credit provides vital financial support to our most vulnerable pensioners and we want all those who are eligible to claim it.

To raise awareness of Pension Credit and increase take-up, the Department launched a £1.2m nationwide communications campaign in April. The campaign included:

• Promotion of Pension Credit on social media, via internet search engines and sponsored advertising on targeted websites that pensioners, their friends and family are likely to visit;
• Information screens in Post Offices and GP surgeries across GB;
• Advertising in regional and national newspapers and on national and local broadcast radio;
• Advertising on the sides of buses, interior bus panels and digital street displays;
• Leaflets and posters in Jobcentres, as well as digital versions which could be used by stakeholders and partners across local communities;
• Engagement with Local Authorities nationwide through the Government Communication Service local network and promotional materials to enable them to support the campaign; and
• In June, we held a second Pension Credit awareness media ‘day of action’ working in close collaboration with broadcasters, newspapers and other partners such as Age UK, Independent Age and the private sector to reach out to pensioners to promote Pension Credit through their channels.
• An updated digital toolkit with information and resources that any stakeholder can use to help promote Pension Credit.

The campaign will continue in December with press and radio advertising, and social media channels.

We will be urging eligible pensioners to claim Pension Credit as it is not too late to qualify for the second Cost of Living Payment of £324 – part of the package of Help for Households which the Government announced earlier this year. This is because a claim for Pension Credit can be backdated for up to three months, provided the entitlement conditions are met throughout that time. To ensure that a successful backdated claim falls within the qualifying period, claims should be made as soon as possible and by no later than 18 December.

In the new year, DWP will again write to over 11 million pensioners as part of the annual uprating of State Pension. The accompanying leaflet has been updated to include the prominent campaign messaging promoting Pension Credit.