Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to support pensioners over winter 2023-24.

The Government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living which is why it is providing total support of over £94bn in 2022/23 and 2023/24 to help households and individuals with their rising bills.

This winter over 8 million pensioner households will receive a £300 pensioner Cost of Living Payment in addition to their conventional Winter Fuel Payment. This means that a household with someone aged 66-79 will receive an increased payment of £500 and a household with someone aged 80 or over will receive an increased payment of £600. Most payments will be made automatically in November and December.

Cold Weather Payments are also available to help vulnerable people in receipt of certain income-related benefits in England and Wales to meet additional heating costs, during periods of unseasonably cold weather between 1 November and 31 March. This includes older people in receipt of Pension Credit. Those eligible will automatically receive £25 when the average temperature has been recorded as, or is forecast to be, 0°C or below over seven consecutive days.

We continue to maximise opportunities to raise awareness of Pension Credit. On 28 November, we launched the ‘Countdown to Deadline Day’ media push, highlighting that there is still time to apply for Pension Credit by the 10 December and be eligible for a £300 Cost of Living Payment (payable to those on income-related benefits including Pension Credit), thanks to the Pension Credit backdating rules. Our messaging also emphasises that the average Pension Credit award is now worth over £3,900 per year and that an award of Pension Credit can open the door to a range of other support, including help with housing costs, council tax and heating bills.