Written questions by Maskell.

When she plans that pensioners will receive a letter from her Department on eligibility to sign up for pension credit.

Starting this month pensioners in England and Wales will receive a letter informing them of the change in eligibility to the Winter Fuel Payment and encouraging them to check their eligibility for Pension Credit. Similar letters to pensioners in Scotland and Northern Ireland will follow during November. In November we will also be writing to approximately 120,000 pensioners who are in receipt of Housing Benefit and who may also be eligible for, but not currently claiming, Pension Credit. We will be inviting these pensioners to claim Pension Credit by the 21 December, which is the latest date for making a successful backdated Pension Credit claim and still qualify for a Winter Fuel Payment.

How many people claimed Pension Credit in each of the last 12 months.

Internal Pension Credit operational information is not currently produced monthly, but rather weekly. Please find data from 4th September 2023 up to the end of week commencing 30th September 2024. This data is a longer time series of the ad hoc statistics recently published by the Department, available via Weekly Pension Credit claims received from 1 April 2024 to 22 September 2024 - GOV.UK https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/weekly-pension-credit-claims-received-from-1-april-2024-to-1-september-2024/weekly-pension-credit-claims-received-from-1-april-2024-to-1-september-2024 Week Commencing Pension Credit Claims Received04 September 20233,70011 September 20234,10018 September 20234,80025 September 20234,20002 October 20234,30009 October 20234,20016 October 20234,70023 October 20234,60030 October 20235,20006 November 20234,90013 November 20234,40020 November 20234,20027 November 20234,80004 December 20236,60011 December 20234,50018 December 20232,90025 December 20231,30001 January 20243,10008 January 20244,60015 January 20244,80022 January 20244,50029 January 20244,40005 February 20245,80012 February 20245,60019 February 20245,80026 February 20247,20004 March 20246,20011 March 20245,10018 March 20245,10025 March 20243,80001 April 20243,90008 April 20244,40015 April 20244,40022 April 20244,20029 April 20243,70006 May 20243,40013 May 20244,10020 May 20244,00027 May 20243,30003 June 20244,20010 June 20244,00017 June 20243,40024 June 20243,20001 July 20243,80008 July 20244,10015 July 20243,30022 July 20243,50029 July 20247,90005 August 20247,30012 August 20245,90019 August 20248,40026 August 20249,00002 September 202410,70009 September 202413,40016 September 202411,80023 September 20249,80030 September 20248,300

What the schedule is for the advertising campaign for pension credit sign up.

Alongside our continuing work with key stakeholders, for which the Pension Credit week of action (2 -6 September) was a focal point, DWP has also launched paid marketing activity to promote Pension Credit. The activity, which is aimed at potential pensioner customers, began on 16 September and includes radio, national and regional press, paid social media and GP and Post Office screens across Great Britain. We are also advertising on podcasts through a paid media partnership, aimed at friends and family who can encourage and support older relatives and friends to apply. A key message of the campaign this quarter is that those who are eligible and apply for Pension Credit by 21 December could also qualify for the Winter Fuel Payment (or the equivalent in Scotland)