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 making pensioners who live with a partner below State Pension age eligible to receive age-appropriate welfare benefits.

We have no current plans to do so. Ensuring that individuals, including those below State Pension age, can get into and stay in work is important for individuals in helping them to continue saving for their own retirement and contributes to the wider economy.

Since 2019, couples have needed to claim working age benefits (usually Universal Credit) until both members reach pension age.

Once in receipt of Universal Credit, the younger partner can access the same employment support that is available for customers below State Pension age. The partner above State Pension age can still receive their State Pension, but this will be taken into account in full when assessing entitlement and calculating the couple’s Universal Credit award.