Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of (1) the number, and (2) percentage, of eligible state pensioners who claimed pension credit in (a) 2017–18, and (b) 2018–19; and how many pensioners are forecast to claim that benefit in 2019–20.

In 2016-17, 1.81m (60 per cent) of eligible state pensioners claimed Pension Credit. Corresponding figures for 2017-18 and 2018-19 are not yet available.

Official statistics on the take-up of income related benefits at Great Britain level, including Pension Credit, can be found in the ‘Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up in 2016 to 2017’ publication on gov.uk.

Historic and forecast benefit expenditure and caseload data relating to DWP benefits at Great Britain level, including Pension Credit, can be found in the ‘Benefit expenditure and caseload tables 2019’ publication on gov.uk.