Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the application of the "triple lock" policy used in regard to state retirement pensions to the Personal Allowance element from local authorities for retired people living in residential homes; and whether it is their intention to apply it.

All local authority supported care home residents retain an amount of their own income, the Personal Expenses Allowance (PEA), for personal expenses. A significant number of these are below pension credit qualifying age. It would not, therefore, be appropriate to apply the triple lock to the PEA and it would be inequitable to only apply it to the PEA retained by people above pension credit qualifying age.

Local authorities have discretion to allow people to keep a larger PEA where they have a family member to support or a property to maintain.

We are committed to uprating the PEA regularly to ensure that it maintains its value.