Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what studies and research his Department has undertaken or commissioned on the potential benefits of equity release on retirement incomes; and if he will estimate the potential effect on the public purse of a lower take-up rate of means-tested old-age benefits resulting from greater use of equity release.

Figures published by the Equity Release Council, an industry body, on the extent of equity release lending are available here:

http://www.equityreleasecouncil.com/document-library/equity-release-market-report-spring-2016/

The Government has not undertaken or commissioned any recent studies on the relationship between equity release and means-tested benefits.