Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much her Department has spent on increasing take-up rates for pension credit in each year for which data is available.

The DWP uses a wide range of channels to communicate information about Pension Credit to potential customers. This includes information on www.gov.uk, in leaflets and by telephone as well as through DWP staff in Pension Centres and Jobcentres and staff in Local Authorities who administer Housing Benefit. The Government is committed to ensuring that older people receive the support they are entitled to and the DWP targets activity on engaging with people who may be eligible to benefits at pivotal stages, such as when they claim State Pension or report a change in their circumstances.

Furthermore, the Pension Credit toolkit is an on-line tool for agencies and welfare rights organisations to use in order to encourage Pension Credit take-up. It contains publicity material and guidance designed to help older people understand how they could get Pension Credit and help organisations support someone applying for Pension Credit as well as ideas for encouraging take-up. The Pension Credit toolkit can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pension-credit-toolkit

The specific information requested on how much the DWP has spent on increasing take-up rates for Pension Credit in each year is not available.