Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the accuracy of her Department’s impact assessment on the decision to remove the winter fuel payment.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
In line with the requirements of the Public Sector Equality Duty, an Equality Analysis was produced and considered as part of the ministerial decision-making process. This was published on 13 September and is available online: Equality Impact Assessments produced for targeting Winter Fuel Payment - GOV.UK. The Department will continue to monitor outcomes for pensioners.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of Pension Credit applications received in the period between 1 October 2024 and 31 December 2024 were deemed ineligible in (a) Aldridge-Brownhills constituency and (b) the UK.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
On 27 February 2025 we published Pension Credit applications and award statistics. This publication provides application volumes up to 23 February 2025. This also includes information on Pension Credit claims that have been cleared but not awarded benefit. Pension Credit Applications and Awards - February 2025. The Department does not hold this information at constituency level.
The next update of the Pension Credit applications and awards data is due to be published on 29th May 2025.
Please note, the figures presented are from DWP’s Pension Credit system which has previously been collected for internal departmental operations use and has not been quality assured to Official Statistics publication standards.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of Pension Credit applications that were received in the period between 1 October 2024 and 31 December 2024 were ineligible.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
On 27 February 2025 we published Pension Credit applications and award statistics. This publication provides application volumes up to 23 February 2025. This also includes information on Pension Credit claims that have been cleared but not awarded benefit. Pension Credit Applications and Awards - February 2025. The Department does not hold this information at constituency level.
The next update of the Pension Credit applications and awards data is due to be published on 29th May 2025.
Please note, the figures presented are from DWP’s Pension Credit system which has previously been collected for internal departmental operations use and has not been quality assured to Official Statistics publication standards.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many single pensioners there are who earn less than £20,000 a year and more than the threshold required for pension credit.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The income threshold for eligibility for Pension Credit is dependent on personal circumstances, and not all forms of income are taken into account when determining eligibility. Therefore it is not possible to produce a robust estimate of how many single pensioners exceed this threshold due to earned income.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to review the eligibility criteria for Pension Credit.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government has no current plans to review the eligibility criteria for Pension Credit.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the uptake of Pension Credit among (a) disabled and (b) non-disabled pensioners.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The latest estimates of Pension Credit take-up cover the financial year 2022/23: Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up: financial year ending 2023 - GOV.UK. The take-up does not provide a break down of rates of take-up amongst disabled and non-disabled pensioners.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to winter fuel payment eligibility on pensioners who are (a) disabled, (b) renting and (c) on low to modest incomes.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Secretary of State considered the impact of the Winter Fuel Payment changes on pensioners with protected characteristics as part of her duties under the Public Sector Equality Duty. This included the impact on those with disabilities.
Details of the Equality Analysis can be found at: Responses to Freedom of Information requests on Equality Impact Assessments produced for targeting Winter Fuel Payment - GOV.UK
Disability benefits provide a tax free, non-income-related contribution towards the extra costs people with a long-term health condition or disability can face, such as additional heating costs. They are paid in addition to any other benefits received.
The Government also offers direct financial help to low-income pensioners through Pension Credit, the Warm Home Discount, and (in England & Wales) Cold Weather Payments.
Pension Credit provides a safety net for low-income pensioners by guaranteeing a minimum level of income and also passports them to receive other benefits (including Winter Fuel Payments, help with rent, council tax, fuel bills and a free TV licence for those over 75).
The Government is taking significant steps to raise awareness and maximise the take-up of Pension Credit. DWP has received 235,000 Pension Credit applications in the 30 weeks since the Winter Fuel Payment announcement and made 117,800 new Pension Credit awards over the same period.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what her policy is on the continued payment of Personal Independence Payment while a decision to end the payment is subject to an appeal.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is not an income replacement benefit. It is paid to help with the additional costs that arise from long term health conditions or disability where they impact on the activities set out in legislation. Claimants are assessed against the legislative criteria and a decision on entitlement is made by a DWP decision maker.
In line with the legislative requirement, we continue to apply the latest decision on a PIP award until such time as a new decision is made. Payment of PIP after a claim has been disallowed, or payment at a rate higher than the latest decision, whilst an individual is waiting for an appeal hearing could lead to incorrect expenditure of public funds. If a subsequent first-tier tribunal makes a new decision to reinstate PIP or give a higher award, then the Department will backdate any payments due.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Justice on the potential impact of changes to disability benefits on the court appeals system.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
DWP will work with the Ministry of Justice to prepare a Justice Impact Test to assess the impacts of proposed policy changes on the justice system.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Pension Credit applications her Department has processed in the latest period for which data is available.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
On 27 February 2025 we published Pension Credit applications and award statistics. This publication provides application volumes up to 23 February 2025. Pension Credit Applications and Awards - February 2025.
Please note, the figures presented are from DWP’s Pension Credit system which has previously been collected for internal departmental operations use only and has not been quality assured to Official Statistics publication standards.