Asked by: Lord Sikka (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the number of individuals who (1) were eligible to receive pension credit, and (2) received it in 2024–25.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The latest available Pension Credit take-up statistics cover the financial year 2022 to 2023 and are available at: Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up: financial year ending 2023 - GOV.UK. In the financial year ending 2023, it is estimated that 1.32 million pensioner households were in receipt of Pension Credit and up to 760,000 pensioner households were entitled to Pension Credit but not receiving the benefit.
The latest available Pension Credit caseload statistics cover the period up to August 2024. At August 2024, there were 1,360,660 pensioner households in receipt of Pension Credit in Great Britain. These statistics are available via DWP Stat-Xplore.
Asked by: Lord Sikka (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the number of pensioners living below the poverty line in 2024–25.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Households below average income (HBAI) statistics contain estimates of the number and percentage of people living in low-income households in the UK. This is published by the Department annually. The latest data covers financial year ending 2024.
In financial year ending 2024, it is estimated that 1.9 million pensioners were in relative poverty after housing costs, and 1.6 million pensioners were in absolute poverty after housing costs.
Asked by: Lord Sikka (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what was (1) the total amount paid out for each benefit administered by the Department for Work and Pensions, (2) the total monetary amount of alleged fraud for each benefit, (3) the total number of prosecutions in each case, and (4) the total amount recovered, in 2023–24.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Total estimates of benefit expenditure and estimates of fraud and error across all benefits can be found at: Fraud and error in the benefit system - GOV.UK
As outlined in DWP Annual Reports and Accounts 2023 to 2024 on page 103, there were 655 prosecutions but a breakdown by benefit is not available.
Debt Management Unit’s total recovery in 2023-24 amounted to £2.81 billion (excluding Housing Benefit recovered by local authorities but including £46 million Housing Benefit debt recovered by DWP), page 133 of the DWP Annual Reports and Accounts 2023 to 2024.
Asked by: Lord Sikka (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what was the median state pension for (1) men, and (2) women, (a) before 2016, and (b) since 2016.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Information on amounts of State Pension by gender are available at DWP Stat-Xplore. The table below provides information on the Median State Pension amount for (i) people who reached State Pension age before 6th April 2016 and will get the basic State Pension and may get earnings-related additional State Pension, and (ii) those who reached State Pension age on or after 6th April 2016, who get the new State Pension. The information in the table below is based on the latest available quarter ending May 2024.
| Median Weekly Pre-2016 SP (bSP) May 2024 (£) | Median Weekly Post-2016 SP (nSP) May 2024 (£) |
Male | 219.93 | 220.96 |
Female | 191.04 | 220.53 |
Total | 204.06 | 220.74 |
Asked by: Lord Sikka (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Offord of Garvel on 13 May (HL Deb col 456), what were the titles of the cases prosecuted by the Department of Work and Pensions against postmasters in England and Wales, and in each case what was (1) the date of proceedings, (2) the location of the court, and (3) the outcome.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department is aware of 61 Post Office members of staff who were prosecuted by DWP between 2001 and 2006. Each of the cases involved welfare-related fraud offences. In most cases this involved encashment of stolen benefit payment order books. There is no evidence that any of the cases prosecuted by DWP relied on the Horizon system. They followed lengthy, complex investigations, relying on multiple sources of evidence.
Until 2012, DWP prosecuted its own cases. The cases were handled by DWP Solicitors who would instruct Counsel to represent DWP at Court. In March 2012, the prosecutorial function of the DWP was assigned to the Crown Prosecution Service.
In the early 2000’s the Department moved to paying benefits automatically into people’s bank accounts which significantly reduced the opportunity for benefit fraud, including potential offences by Post Office staff.
To assist, please find attached a table setting out the information the Department holds for each of the 61 cases. The information includes the date of conviction, the location of the court, and the sentence (outcome) for each of the 61 cases.
Asked by: Lord Sikka (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to publish a list of the cases of sub-postmaster prosecutions which have been initiated by the Department of Work and Pensions between 1999 and 2018 and subsequently passed to the Crown Prosecution Service; and the outcome of each of those cases.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department is aware of 61 Post Office members of staff who were prosecuted by DWP between 2001 and 2006. Each of the cases involved welfare-related fraud offences. In most cases this involved encashment of stolen benefit payment order books. There is no evidence that any of the cases prosecuted by DWP relied on the Horizon system. They followed lengthy, complex investigations, relying on multiple sources of evidence.
Until 2012, DWP prosecuted its own cases. The cases were handled by DWP Solicitors who would instruct Counsel to represent DWP at Court. In March 2012, the prosecutorial function of the DWP was assigned to the Crown Prosecution Service.
In the early 2000’s the Department moved to paying benefits automatically into people’s bank accounts which significantly reduced the opportunity for benefit fraud, including potential offences by Post Office staff.
To assist, please find attached a table setting out the information the Department holds for each of the 61 cases. The information includes the date of conviction, the location of the court, and the sentence (outcome) for each of the 61 cases.
Asked by: Lord Sikka (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Department of Work and Pensions has transcripts of court judgments and accompanying documents for all cases related to the prosecution of sub-postmasters that they have initiated.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Transcripts of court judgments are available upon application HMCT, DWP does not hold transcripts of court judgments. The DWP case files referred to in the question have been destroyed in line with data protection legislative requirements.
Asked by: Lord Sikka (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Stedman-Scott on 6 December 2021 (HL4310), what is the median state pension for (1) men, and (2) women, for 2024–25.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Data for 2024-25 as requested is not currently held by the department.
Asked by: Lord Sikka (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to provide a list of the cases of sub-postmaster prosecutions which have been initiated by the Department of Work and Pensions and subsequently passed to the Crown Prosecution Service; and the outcome of each of those cases.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Shadow Minister (Work and Pensions)
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.
Asked by: Lord Sikka (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Stedman-Scott on 6 December 2021 (HL4310), what is the median state pension for (1) men, and (2) women, for 2024–25.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Shadow Minister (Work and Pensions)
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.