Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to help tackle pensioner poverty.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
In 2021/22, there were 200,000 fewer pensioners in absolute poverty after housing costs than in 2009/10. The Government remains committed to ensuring that older people can live with the dignity and respect they deserve, and the State Pension is the foundation of financial support for today’s older people and for retirement saving by younger people.
From April 2024, subject to parliamentary approval, the basic and new State Pensions and Pension Credit Standard Minimum Guarantee will be up-rated by 8.5%, in line with earnings growth, benefiting over 12.2 million pensioners. This delivers on the Government’s ‘triple lock’ commitment to increase these rates in line with the highest of growth in prices, growth in earnings or 2.5%. Other State Pension and benefit rates, including the Additional State Pension, will be increased by 6.7%, in line with the increase in the Consumer Prices Index for the year to September 2023.
There are currently around 1.4 million pensioners claiming some £5bn of Pension Credit, which tops up their retirement income. This provides invaluable financial support for the poorest pensioners and is a passport to a range of other benefits. We are taking action to raise awareness of Pension Credit, encouraging pensioners to check their eligibility and make a claim.
The Government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living which is why it is providing total support of over £94bn in 2022/23 and 2023/24 to help households and individuals with their rising bills.
Over 8 million UK households on eligible means-tested benefits, including Pension Credit, will receive Cost of Living Payments totalling up to £900 in 2023/24.
In addition, over 8 million households will receive a £300 pensioner Cost of Living Payment as a top up to their winter fuel payment this year, increasing payments to £500 or £600 where the household includes someone aged 80 or over. Pensioners in receipt of an eligible disability benefit will have received the £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment.
In addition to these current measures, to reduce the risk of poverty for future pensioners, automatic enrolment into workplace pensions has transformed pension participation for millions of workers. To date, over 10.8 million people have been automatically enrolled into a workplace pension, with over 2.1 million employers complying with their duties. Furthermore, our 50 PLUS agenda aims to maximise the labour market opportunities for people to earn and save for longer.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that new builds are accessible to older people and people with disabilities.
Answered by Baroness Swinburne - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
I refer the Lord Bishop to the answer given to Question UIN HL8422 on 26 June 2023.
Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 5 July 2023 to Question 191359 on Housing: Disability and Older People, what guidance his Department published in 2019 for local authorities on (a) assessing the size, type and tenure of housing needed for different groups in the community and (b) planning for those who require supported housing.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
In 2019, the government published Guidance on Housing for Older and Disabled People, to help local authorities plan for the housing needs of these groups.
Among other things, this guidance set out the range of needs local authorities should assess, as well as the evidence that local authorities can consider when identifying the housing needs of older and disabled people.
Asked by: Ben Everitt (Conservative - Milton Keynes North)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that accessible and adaptable homes are available for older and disabled people.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
Planning rules already mean that councils must consider the needs of older and disabled people when planning new homes. The National Model Design Code provides tools and guidance to local councils for producing design codes; it details how the ten characteristics in the National Design Guide can be translated into design standards in local design codes. My Hon Friend will want to know that the Government has set out its intention to mandate higher accessibility standards for all new homes by raising the minimum standard in Building Regulations in England in due course.
Asked by: Lilian Greenwood (Labour - Nottingham South)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure there is a sufficient supply of accessible and adaptable homes for older and disabled people who require such housing.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answers give to Question UIN 183870 on 11 May 2023, to Question UIN 187138 on 12 June 2023 and to Question UIN HL8422 on 26 June 2023.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government what recent steps they have taken to ensure there are enough accessible and adaptable homes available for those older and disabled people who need them.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
I refer the noble Baroness to my answer to Question HL8422 which was answered on 26 June 2023.
Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what guidance his Department provides local planning authorities on supporting (a) elderly and (b) disabled people with their housing needs.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The National Planning Policy Framework sets out that local authorities should assess the size, type and tenure of housing needed for different groups in the community, including those who require supported housing, and reflect this in planning policies. We also published guidance in 2019 to help councils put policies in place to achieve this.
In addition, as part of our recent consultation on a revised National Planning Policy Framework, we proposed additional wording which would explicitly set out that local authorities should plan for the needs of older people, including for retirement, housing with care and care homes. We will be publishing a government response to the consultation in due course.
The Government has established an independent Older People’s Housing Taskforce and asked it to examine how to improve house options for people in later life and to make recommendations to Ministers. The taskforce is expected to make its report to Ministers in the spring of 2024.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps the Government have taken to (a) reduce the number of people with learning disabilities or autism in psychiatric hospitals, (b) improve the supported housing services available to people with learning disabilities or autism and (c) improve the community mental health services available to people with learning disabilities or autism.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
In 2023/24, we are investing an additional £121 million to improve community support for people with a learning disability and autistic people as part of the NHS Long Term Plan, including funding for Children and Young People’s keyworkers.
The Ministerially-chaired Building the Right Support (BtRS) Delivery Board is overseeing implementation of the BtRS Action Plan (2022) which brings together actions across Government and public services to strengthen community support and reduce overall reliance on mental health inpatient care for people with a learning disability and autistic people.
From 2022/23 to 2024/25, we will continue to provide funding to build specialised housing, through the CASSH Fund, for older people and adults with learning disabilities or autism, physical disabilities and mental ill-health. Alongside this, the £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme (2021-2026) includes delivery within the programme for new supported housing.
In addition, the Government is supporting the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Bill, which includes a range of measures intended to improve quality of supported housing. We are investing at least £2.3 billion of extra funding a year in expanding and transforming mental health services in England, including those based in the community, by March 2024. This will allow an additional 2 million people, including people with learning disabilities and autism, to get the mental health support they need.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to help ensure that people who are out of work and have sufficient resources to pay for their energy, food and other living costs this winter.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living and has taken further decisive action to support people with their energy bills.
The £37bn of support includes up to £650 in Cost-of-Living Payments (paid in 2 lump sums of £326 and £324) which has been designed to target support at around 8 million low-income households on means-tested benefits, including people who are out of work and receiving Universal Credit and older people receiving Pension Credit. In addition, more than 8 million pensioner households will receive a one-off payment of £300 through the Winter Fuel Payment from November, and 6 million eligible disabled people will receive a one-off Disability Cost of Living Payment of £150 from 20 September.
Also included in the cost-of-living support is the current Household Support Fund in England, which is already providing £421m of support for the period April-September 2022. For the same period, the devolved administrations received £79 million through the Barnett formula. For the period October 2022-March 2023, we are providing an additional £421 million through the Household Support Fund to help households in England with the cost of essentials, and the devolved administrations will receive £79 million through the Barnett formula.
Ongoing financial support for help with the cost of living is provided to people over State Pension age through State Pensions, Pension Credit and Housing Benefit, and to people below State Pension age through Universal Credit, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance. In some cases, and especially in the case of Pension Credit, these entitlements may also give access to other support such as help with Council Tax, NHS costs, discounts on energy bills, and free TV licences for those aged 75 or over.
People with a long-term health condition or disability may be entitled to one of the following non-means tested benefits to help them meet the additional costs that arise from disability: Attendance Allowance; Disability Living Allowance; or Personal Independence Payment. These benefits can be paid in addition to any other social security benefits and may qualify people for additional amounts or premiums as part of these benefits.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what additional support will be available for disabled people who cannot meet their energy, food and other living costs this winter.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living and has taken further decisive action to support people with their energy bills.
The £37bn of support includes up to £650 in Cost-of-Living Payments (paid in 2 lump sums of £326 and £324) which has been designed to target support at around 8 million low-income households on means-tested benefits, including people who are out of work and receiving Universal Credit and older people receiving Pension Credit. In addition, more than 8 million pensioner households will receive a one-off payment of £300 through the Winter Fuel Payment from November, and 6 million eligible disabled people will receive a one-off Disability Cost of Living Payment of £150 from 20 September.
Also included in the cost-of-living support is the current Household Support Fund in England, which is already providing £421m of support for the period April-September 2022. For the same period, the devolved administrations received £79 million through the Barnett formula. For the period October 2022-March 2023, we are providing an additional £421 million through the Household Support Fund to help households in England with the cost of essentials, and the devolved administrations will receive £79 million through the Barnett formula.
Ongoing financial support for help with the cost of living is provided to people over State Pension age through State Pensions, Pension Credit and Housing Benefit, and to people below State Pension age through Universal Credit, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance. In some cases, and especially in the case of Pension Credit, these entitlements may also give access to other support such as help with Council Tax, NHS costs, discounts on energy bills, and free TV licences for those aged 75 or over.
People with a long-term health condition or disability may be entitled to one of the following non-means tested benefits to help them meet the additional costs that arise from disability: Attendance Allowance; Disability Living Allowance; or Personal Independence Payment. These benefits can be paid in addition to any other social security benefits and may qualify people for additional amounts or premiums as part of these benefits.