Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing additional support to women affected by the raise in state pension age who are ineligible for the (a) winter fuel allowance and (b) cost of living payments in the context of the cost of living crisis.

This Government is committed to providing a financial safety net for those who need it, including when they near or reach retirement. Support is already available to those who are unable to work or are on a low income but are not eligible to pensioner benefits because of their age.

The government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living and has taken further decisive action to support people with their energy bills. The Energy Price Guarantee is supporting millions of households with rising energy costs, and the Chancellor made clear it will continue to do so from now until April next year. This is in addition to the over £37bn of Cost of Living support announced earlier this year which includes the £400 non-repayable discount to eligible households provided through the Energy Bills Support Scheme.

To support people who need additional help, the Government is providing an extra £500 million of local support. In England this will be via the Household Support Fund, which will be extended from this October to March 2023 backed by £421m. The Household Support Fund helps those in most need with payments towards the rising cost of food, energy and water bills. The Government has issued guidance to Local Authorities to ensure support is targeted towards those most in need of support, including those not eligible for the Cost of Living Payments set out on 26 May 2022. This brings the total amount provided for this type of support to £1.5 billion since October 2021.