Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure that people who are on the State Pension and are not eligible for the Cost of Living Payment are being supported in the context of the increased costs of living.

In 2022/23, we will spend over £134bn on benefits for pensioners in GB. This includes spending on the State Pension which is forecast to be over £110bn. The full yearly basic State Pension is now over £2,300 higher, in cash terms, than in 2010 which is around £720 more than if it had been up-rated in line with prices.

The government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living. This is why we are providing £37bn of support this year which includes a one-off payment of £300 to pensioner households as an addition to the Winter Fuel Payment. All households with a domestic electricity bill will also benefit from the £400 support being provided through the Energy Bills Support Scheme.

We are also providing an additional £500 million to help households with the cost of essentials, on top of what we have already provided since October 2021, bringing the total funding for this support to £1.5 billion.