Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the pension credit threshold.

The rates of Pension Credit are reviewed annually as part of the Secretary of State’s statutory review of State pension and benefit rates. Following the last review in Autumn 2024, the Standard Minimum Guarantee in Pension Credit increased by 4.1% in line with average earnings. This raised it to £227.10 a week for a single pensioner and £346.60 a week for a couple from 7 April 2025. The next review will be undertaken following confirmation in October by the Office of National Statistics of the earnings and prices indices which are used to inform the review.