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1111212

registered interest
date	10/04/2019
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Pension Credit
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much her Department has spent on increasing take-up rates for pension credit in each year for which data is available.
tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
uin	243355
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/04/2019 answer text <p>The DWP uses a wide range of channels to communicate information about Pension Credit to potential customers. This includes information on <a href="http://www.gov.uk" target="_blank">www.gov.uk</a>, in leaflets and by telephone as well as through DWP staff in Pension Centres and Jobcentres and staff in Local Authorities who administer Housing Benefit. The Government is committed to ensuring that older people receive the support they are entitled to and the DWP targets activity on engaging with people who may be eligible to benefits at pivotal stages, such as when they claim State Pension or report a change in their circumstances.</p><p> </p><p>Furthermore, the Pension Credit toolkit is an on-line tool for agencies and welfare rights organisations to use in order to encourage Pension Credit take-up. It contains publicity material and guidance designed to help older people understand how they could get Pension Credit and help organisations support someone applying for Pension Credit as well as ideas for encouraging take-up. The Pension Credit toolkit can be found here:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pension-credit-toolkit" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pension-credit-toolkit</a></p><p> </p><p>The specific information requested on how much the DWP has spent on increasing take-up rates for Pension Credit in each year is not available.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 15/04/2019 15:18:32 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

1111213

registered interest
date	10/04/2019
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Pension Credit
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the (a) amount of unclaimed pension credit and (b) average amount of unclaimed pension credit per eligible person in each year for which data is available.
tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
uin	243356
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/04/2019 answer text <p>The table below shows estimates for the (a) amount of unclaimed Pension credit and (b) average amount of unclaimed pension credit per household in each year for which data is available.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Total amount of unclaimed pension credit</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Average (mean) weekly amount of unclaimed pension credit </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Average (median) weekly amount of unclaimed pension credit </strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2012/13</strong></p></td><td><p>£3.1bn</p></td><td><p>£41</p></td><td><p>£22</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2013/14</strong></p></td><td><p>£2.9bn</p></td><td><p>£41</p></td><td><p>£23</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2014/15</strong></p></td><td><p>£2.8bn</p></td><td><p>£42</p></td><td><p>£24</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2015/16</strong></p></td><td><p>£2.7bn</p></td><td><p>£42</p></td><td><p>£25</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2016/17</strong></p></td><td><p>£3.1bn</p></td><td><p>£49</p></td><td><p>£24</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Source: Income related benefits: estimates of take-up 2016 to 2017</p><p> </p><p>Please note that figures in the publication reflect average amounts of unclaimed Pension Credit per household instead of per person. This is because data from the Family Resources Survey, a survey assessing households, is used to produce the figures in the publication.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 15/04/2019 15:34:05 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

1092604

registered interest
date	21/03/2019
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Pension Credit
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what impact assessment her Department has undertaken on the recent reform of pension credit; and if she will publish that impact assessment.
tabling member constituency	Wolverhampton North East
tabling member printed	Emma Reynolds
uin	235295
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/03/2019 answer text <p>The change to the Pension Credit rules was legislated for in the Welfare Reform Act 2012. As part of the Parliamentary process, an Equality Impact Assessment published on the 9 November 2011, which included an assessment of the impacts of Universal Credit reforms on older couples, including mixed aged couples. This can be found at:</p><p /><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-equality-impact-assessment" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-equality-impact-assessment</a></p><p> </p><p>On 28 February 2019 we published an ad-hoc statistical release which provides analysis relating to mixed age couples estimated to be affected by the change in policy to be implemented on 15 May 2019. This can be found at:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mixed-age-couples-benefit-impacts-of-ending-access-to-pension-credit-and-pension-age-housing-benefit" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mixed-age-couples-benefit-impacts-of-ending-access-to-pension-credit-and-pension-age-housing-benefit</a></p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 26/03/2019 16:46:33 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4077 label Biography information for Emma Reynolds

1092721

registered interest
date	21/03/2019
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Pension Credit
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to (a) publicise forthcoming changes to pension credit for mixed-age couples and (b) encourage people to make a claim for that benefit before 15 May 2019.
tabling member constituency	East Ham
tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
uin	235228
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/03/2019 answer text <p>The mixed age couple policy was legislated for in the Welfare Reform Act 2012 and will be implemented now Universal Credit has rolled out nationally for new claims. The commencement order that the mixed age couple policy change will come into force on 15 May 2019, was announced on 14 January 2019. Following the announcement the Government is implementing comprehensive plans to raise awareness of the change among people who may be affected.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has written directly to mixed-age couples who are already in receipt of Pension Credit or Housing Benefit for pensioners to inform them of the changes and encourage them to find out what it could mean for them. Importantly the letters explain that mixed age couples already claiming Pension Credit and/or Housing Benefit for pensioners immediately before 15 May will not be affected for as long as they remain in receipt of either benefit after that date, and that their State Pension will not be affected.</p><p> </p><p>This is in addition to providing information on <a href="http://www.gov.uk" target="_blank">www.gov.uk</a> and through existing departmental channels. The Department’s staff in Pension Centres and Jobcentres are able to provide help and advice about the change, as will staff in local authorities who administer Housing Benefit.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has also worked with relevant organisations, including providing them with a fact sheet to ensure that accurate information is available in the places where people are most likely to seek information.</p><p> </p><p>A regional breakdown of the estimated number of mixed age couples who would have been entitled to and claiming Pension Credit and/or Housing Benefit for pensioners is not available.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman grouped question UIN 235229 235230 question first answered 26/03/2019 16:02:04 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

1092723

registered interest
date	21/03/2019
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Pension Credit
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of mixed-age couples claiming (a) pension credit or (b) pension age housing benefit on 14 May who will lose entitlement due to a change in circumstance in each of the next five years.
tabling member constituency	East Ham
tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
uin	235229
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/03/2019 answer text <p>The mixed age couple policy was legislated for in the Welfare Reform Act 2012 and will be implemented now Universal Credit has rolled out nationally for new claims. The commencement order that the mixed age couple policy change will come into force on 15 May 2019, was announced on 14 January 2019. Following the announcement the Government is implementing comprehensive plans to raise awareness of the change among people who may be affected.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has written directly to mixed-age couples who are already in receipt of Pension Credit or Housing Benefit for pensioners to inform them of the changes and encourage them to find out what it could mean for them. Importantly the letters explain that mixed age couples already claiming Pension Credit and/or Housing Benefit for pensioners immediately before 15 May will not be affected for as long as they remain in receipt of either benefit after that date, and that their State Pension will not be affected.</p><p> </p><p>This is in addition to providing information on <a href="http://www.gov.uk" target="_blank">www.gov.uk</a> and through existing departmental channels. The Department’s staff in Pension Centres and Jobcentres are able to provide help and advice about the change, as will staff in local authorities who administer Housing Benefit.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has also worked with relevant organisations, including providing them with a fact sheet to ensure that accurate information is available in the places where people are most likely to seek information.</p><p> </p><p>A regional breakdown of the estimated number of mixed age couples who would have been entitled to and claiming Pension Credit and/or Housing Benefit for pensioners is not available.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman grouped question UIN 235228 235230 question first answered 26/03/2019 16:02:04 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

1092726

registered interest
date	21/03/2019
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Pension Credit
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many of the approximately 60,000 mixed-age couples who will be affected by the change in the entitlement rules for pension credit by 2023-24 live in each region of the UK.
tabling member constituency	East Ham
tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
uin	235230
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/03/2019 answer text <p>The mixed age couple policy was legislated for in the Welfare Reform Act 2012 and will be implemented now Universal Credit has rolled out nationally for new claims. The commencement order that the mixed age couple policy change will come into force on 15 May 2019, was announced on 14 January 2019. Following the announcement the Government is implementing comprehensive plans to raise awareness of the change among people who may be affected.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has written directly to mixed-age couples who are already in receipt of Pension Credit or Housing Benefit for pensioners to inform them of the changes and encourage them to find out what it could mean for them. Importantly the letters explain that mixed age couples already claiming Pension Credit and/or Housing Benefit for pensioners immediately before 15 May will not be affected for as long as they remain in receipt of either benefit after that date, and that their State Pension will not be affected.</p><p> </p><p>This is in addition to providing information on <a href="http://www.gov.uk" target="_blank">www.gov.uk</a> and through existing departmental channels. The Department’s staff in Pension Centres and Jobcentres are able to provide help and advice about the change, as will staff in local authorities who administer Housing Benefit.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has also worked with relevant organisations, including providing them with a fact sheet to ensure that accurate information is available in the places where people are most likely to seek information.</p><p> </p><p>A regional breakdown of the estimated number of mixed age couples who would have been entitled to and claiming Pension Credit and/or Housing Benefit for pensioners is not available.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman grouped question UIN 235228 235229 question first answered 26/03/2019 16:02:04 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

1082571

registered interest
date	06/03/2019
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Pension Credit
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has written to people who will be affected by the changes to pension credit entitlement which come into force on 15 May 2019 to inform them that they will no longer be entitled to claim pension credit if their partner is not of state pension age.
tabling member constituency	Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East
tabling member printed	Stuart C. McDonald
uin	229220
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/03/2019 answer text <p>The mixed age couple policy was legislated for in the Welfare Reform Act 2012 and then the commencement order was that the mixed age couple policy change will come into force on 15 May 2019, which was announced on 14 January 2019. Following the announcement we are implementing comprehensive plans to raise awareness of the change among people who may be affected.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has written directly to mixed-age couples who are already in receipt of Pension Credit or Housing Benefit for pensioners to inform them of the changes and encourage them to find out what it could mean for them. Importantly the letters explain that mixed age couples already claiming Pension Credit and/or Housing Benefit for pensioners immediately before 15 May will not be affected for as long as they remain in receipt of either benefit after that date, and that their State Pension will not be affected.</p><p> </p><p>This is in addition to providing information on gov.uk and through existing departmental channels. The Department’s staff in Pension Centres and Jobcentres are able to provide help and advice about the change, as will staff in local authorities who administer Housing Benefit.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has also worked with relevant organisations, including providing them with a fact sheet to ensure that accurate information is available in the places where people are most likely to seek information.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman grouped question UIN 229221 question first answered 11/03/2019 17:13:26 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4393 label Biography information for Stuart C McDonald

1082572

registered interest
date	06/03/2019
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Pension Credit
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she has taken to publicise the changes to pension credit entitlement which come into force on 15 May 2019 to (a) couples who will no longer receive that entitlement because one partner is not of state pension age and (b) other people.
tabling member constituency	Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East
tabling member printed	Stuart C. McDonald
uin	229221
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/03/2019 answer text <p>The mixed age couple policy was legislated for in the Welfare Reform Act 2012 and then the commencement order was that the mixed age couple policy change will come into force on 15 May 2019, which was announced on 14 January 2019. Following the announcement we are implementing comprehensive plans to raise awareness of the change among people who may be affected.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has written directly to mixed-age couples who are already in receipt of Pension Credit or Housing Benefit for pensioners to inform them of the changes and encourage them to find out what it could mean for them. Importantly the letters explain that mixed age couples already claiming Pension Credit and/or Housing Benefit for pensioners immediately before 15 May will not be affected for as long as they remain in receipt of either benefit after that date, and that their State Pension will not be affected.</p><p> </p><p>This is in addition to providing information on gov.uk and through existing departmental channels. The Department’s staff in Pension Centres and Jobcentres are able to provide help and advice about the change, as will staff in local authorities who administer Housing Benefit.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has also worked with relevant organisations, including providing them with a fact sheet to ensure that accurate information is available in the places where people are most likely to seek information.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman grouped question UIN 229220 question first answered 11/03/2019 17:13:26 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4393 label Biography information for Stuart C McDonald

1079440

registered interest
date	28/02/2019
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Pension Credit
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether there are any pensioners entitled to pensions credit who are not in receipt of that benefit.
tabling member constituency	Wansbeck
tabling member printed	Ian Lavery
uin	227104
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/03/2019 answer text <p>Official statistics on the take-up of income related benefits, including Pension Credit, can be found in the ‘Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up in 2016 to 2017’ publication which can be found here:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/income-related-benefits-estimates-of-take-up-financial-year-2016-to-2017" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/income-related-benefits-estimates-of-take-up-financial-year-2016-to-2017</a></p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 07/03/2019 11:31:42 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4139 label Biography information for Ian Lavery

1077283

registered interest
date	25/02/2019
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Pension Credit
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of women affected by the change in the state pension age will be affected by the proposed reforms to pension credit.
tabling member constituency	Airdrie and Shotts
tabling member printed	Neil Gray
uin	225527
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2019 answer text <p>No mixed age couples who are receiving Pension Credit and/or Housing Benefit for pensioners immediately before the implementation date will see a reduction in the amount of benefit they receive as a result of the policy change (unless their entitlement to both those benefits subsequently ends).</p><p>Under provisions enacted in the Welfare Reform Act 2012, in future, Pension Credit and Housing Benefit for pensioners will not be available to couples before both partners have reached State Pension age. These changes will take effect from 15 May 2019.</p><p>Information on the characteristics of the estimated number of future mixed age couples who may be affected by the forthcoming changes to be introduced on 15 May 2019 is not available.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 05/03/2019 16:58:18 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4365 label Biography information for Neil Gray