Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance his Department issues to central and local government officials responsible for processing housing benefit and council tax benefit claims on withdrawal of pension fund money under the pension freedom rules that come into force in April 2015.

For Housing Benefit, guidance will be with local authorities shortly, to assist local authority decision makers who might have to deal with queries about flexible pension products.

Council Tax Benefit ended in April 2013 and was replaced by local council tax reduction schemes. Guidance on those is the responsibility of the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Scottish and Welsh governments.