Written questions by Morton.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to winter fuel payment eligibility on pensioners who are (a) disabled, (b) renting and (c) on low to modest incomes.

The Secretary of State considered the impact of the Winter Fuel Payment changes on pensioners with protected characteristics as part of her duties under the Public Sector Equality Duty. This included the impact on those with disabilities. Details of the Equality Analysis can be found at: Responses to Freedom of Information requests on Equality Impact Assessments produced for targeting Winter Fuel Payment - GOV.UK Disability benefits provide a tax free, non-income-related contribution towards the extra costs people with a long-term health condition or disability can face, such as additional heating costs. They are paid in addition to any other benefits received. The Government also offers direct financial help to low-income pensioners through Pension Credit, the Warm Home Discount, and (in England & Wales) Cold Weather Payments. Pension Credit provides a safety net for low-income pensioners by guaranteeing a minimum level of income and also passports them to receive other benefits (including Winter Fuel Payments, help with rent, council tax, fuel bills and a free TV licence for those over 75). The Government is taking significant steps to raise awareness and maximise the take-up of Pension Credit.   DWP has received 235,000 Pension Credit applications in the 30 weeks since the Winter Fuel Payment announcement and made 117,800 new Pension Credit awards over the same period.

What discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Justice on the potential impact of changes to disability benefits on the court appeals system.

DWP will work with the Ministry of Justice to prepare a Justice Impact Test to assess the impacts of proposed policy changes on the justice system.

What her policy is on the continued payment of Personal Independence Payment while a decision to end the payment is subject to an appeal.

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is not an income replacement benefit. It is paid to help with the additional costs that arise from long term health conditions or disability where they impact on the activities set out in legislation. Claimants are assessed against the legislative criteria and a decision on entitlement is made by a DWP decision maker.In line with the legislative requirement, we continue to apply the latest decision on a PIP award until such time as a new decision is made. Payment of PIP after a claim has been disallowed, or payment at a rate higher than the latest decision, whilst an individual is waiting for an appeal hearing could lead to incorrect expenditure of public funds. If a subsequent first-tier tribunal makes a new decision to reinstate PIP or give a higher award, then the Department will backdate any payments due.

How many Pension Credit applications her Department has processed in the latest period for which data is available.

On 27 February 2025 we published Pension Credit applications and award statistics. This publication provides application volumes up to 23 February 2025. Pension Credit Applications and Awards - February 2025. Please note, the figures presented are from DWP’s Pension Credit system which has previously been collected for internal departmental operations use only and has not been quality assured to Official Statistics publication standards.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact on people of the planned increase in the Pension Credit qualifying age; and what steps she is taking to (a) inform and (b) support those affected.

The qualifying age for Pension Credit is linked to State Pension age and will therefore increase to age 67 over a two-year phasing period, 2026 to 2028, as a consequence of the increase to State Pension age over the same period. The changes were legislated for by the previous Government in Pensions Act 2014, as part of which an Impact Assessment on changes to State Pension age was published in May 2014. People due to reach State Pension age during the phasing period were sent letters informing them of the change between December 2016 and May 2018. Entitlement to Pension Credit is based on the circumstances of people at the point they make a claim and only established once a valid claim is made, which cannot be done automatically. It is not possible to identify people who will benefit from Pension Credit in advance. Information about Pension Credit, including the qualifying age, is available on gov.uk. Since September the Department has been running a campaign to promote Pension Credit and the work to raise awareness of Pension Credit continues through this year.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2025 to Question 33016 on Pension Credit: Aldridge-Brownhills, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of publishing data on the number of outstanding Pension Credit claims at the constituency level.

There are currently no plans to publish volumes of Pension Credit Outstanding Claims at a constituency level. Statistics on the number of Pension Credit outstanding claims for Great Britain were published on 27 February 2025. This includes numbers of applications that were received, awarded and not awarded, and outstanding, up to week commencing 17 February 2025. Pension Credit applications and awards: February 2025 - GOV.UK. Outstanding Pension Credit claims for Great Britain totalled 30,400 at the end of week commencing 3rd March 2025. This includes 7,100 advanced claims. Advanced claims are where the application can be started up to 4 months before reaching State Pension age. At the end of week commencing 24th June 2024, the last full week of the previous government, outstanding Pension Credit claims for Great Britain totalled 35,000. This includes 5,500 advanced claims. Pension Credit caseload statistics are available at a constituency level on Stat-Xplore: Stat-Xplore - Log in.

What steps her Department is taking to reduce potential barriers to accessing Pension Credit for pensioners who do not have access to digital services or face challenges with online applications.

The Department is in the process of modernising the Pension Credit delivery and consideration of accessibility, having previously introduced online claims, in addition to telephone and paper claims. Claims for Pension Credit can be made online at: www.gov.uk/pension-credit/how-to-claim. The service is available to use 24/7, and provides those who may struggle to make their claim alone the flexibility to have a friend or family member to support them when making their claim at a time that is most convenient to them. Pension Credit claims can also be made through the Freephone telephone number 0800 99 1234, and there is an option to complete a paper application form. DWP Agents and third-party organisations are also available to support customers with the application process. For customers who are unable to complete forms themselves a home visit from a visiting officer can be arranged. For customers who are deaf and use British Sign Language a Video Relay Service (known as VRS) is available and for customers who cannot hear or speak on the phone, can use Relay UK service. Further information can be found on Gov.uk Pension Credit easy read. DWP staff are trained to identify those who may need additional support, and Jobcentres will continue to provide face-to-face support as business as usual for those who cannot access support through telephony and digital channels. The Jobcentre will also consider whether the individual should be referred to specialist support within their geographical area.

What steps her Department is taking to support pensioners who are unable to complete pension credit applications (a) online and (b) by phone.

The Government wants those eligible for Pension Credit but not currently claiming it to receive the benefits they are entitled to. We know there are low-income pensioners who are not claiming Pension Credit, and we urge those people to apply. We encourage all pensioners who may be eligible for Pension Credit to use the Pension Credit calculator - GOV.UK(opens in a new tab) to check eligibility and to use our online Pension Credit claims process. Claims for Pension Credit can be made online at: www.gov.uk/pension-credit/how-to-claim.(opens in a new tab) The service is available to use 24/7, and provides those who may struggle to make their claim alone the flexibility to have a friend or family member to support them when making their claim at a time that is most convenient to them. Pension Credit claims can also be made through the Freephone telephone number 0800 99 1234, and there is an option to complete a paper application form. DWP Agents and third-party organisations are available to support customers with the application process. For customers who are unable to complete forms themselves a home visit from a visiting officer can be arranged. For customers who are deaf and use British Sign Language a Video Relay Service (known as VRS) is available and for customers who cannot hear or speak on the phone, can use Relay UK service. Further information can be found on Easy read: Pension Credit - GOV.UK. On average, since the start of 2025, 90% of claims have been made online or via the telephone. The average online application currently takes 16 minutes to complete.

How many applications made for Pension Credit since 24 February 2025 (a) have been approved and (b) remain outstanding.

The latest statistics on Pension Credit application volumes were published on 27 February 2025. This provides an update to the Applications and Awards data, including those awarded and not awarded and also statistics on the number of outstanding Pension Credit applications. The statistics provide weekly information for the period 3 April 2023 up to 23 February 2025. Pension Credit applications and awards: February 2025 - GOV.UK. The most recent available data for week commencing 17 February 2025 shows there were 33,700 outstanding Pension Credit claims. The statistics on Pension Credit claims are published at national level.

How many applications for Pension Credit had been determined as eligible as of 24 February 2024.

The latest statistics on Pension Credit application volumes were published on 27 February 2025. This provides an update to the Applications and Awards data, including those awarded and not awarded and also statistics on the number of outstanding Pension Credit applications. The statistics provide weekly information for the period 3 April 2023 up to 23 February 2025. Pension Credit applications and awards: February 2025 - GOV.UK. The most recent available data for week commencing 17 February 2025 shows there were 33,700 outstanding Pension Credit claims. The statistics on Pension Credit claims are published at national level.

Whether her Department is taking steps to (a) simplify and (b) ensure paper copies are made available to people without online access to the pension credit application form.

The Government wants those eligible for Pension Credit but not currently claiming it to receive the benefits they are entitled to. We know there are low-income pensioners who are not claiming Pension Credit, and we urge those people to apply. We encourage all pensioners who may be eligible for Pension Credit to use the Pension Credit calculator - GOV.UK(opens in a new tab) to check eligibility and to use our online Pension Credit claims process. Claims for Pension Credit can be made online at: www.gov.uk/pension-credit/how-to-claim.(opens in a new tab) The service is available to use 24/7, and provides those who may struggle to make their claim alone the flexibility to have a friend or family member to support them when making their claim at a time that is most convenient to them. Pension Credit claims can also be made through the Freephone telephone number 0800 99 1234, and there is an option to complete a paper application form. DWP Agents and third-party organisations are available to support customers with the application process. For customers who are unable to complete forms themselves a home visit from a visiting officer can be arranged. For customers who are deaf and use British Sign Language a Video Relay Service (known as VRS) is available and for customers who cannot hear or speak on the phone, can use Relay UK service. Further information can be found on Easy read: Pension Credit - GOV.UK. On average, since the start of 2025, 90% of claims have been made online or via the telephone. The average online application currently takes 16 minutes to complete.

How many applications for Pension Credit have been determined as eligible nationwide; and how many applications remain outstanding.

The latest statistics on Pension Credit application volumes were published on 27 February 2025. This provides an update to the Applications and Awards data, including those awarded and not awarded and also statistics on the number of outstanding Pension Credit applications. The statistics provide weekly information for the period 3 April 2023 up to 23 February 2025. Pension Credit applications and awards: February 2025 - GOV.UK. The most recent available data for week commencing 17 February 2025 shows there were 33,700 outstanding Pension Credit claims. The statistics on Pension Credit claims are published at national level.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the eligibility threshold for the winter fuel payment.

The Government has had to make hard choices to bring the public finances back under control. Linking Winter Fuel Payment eligibility to Pension Credit and other means tested benefits ensures that the least well-off pensioners still receive the help they need. It also ensures that the payment can be paid automatically to eligible households without the need for them to claim or to provide details of their income, capital and personal circumstances. Increasing the eligibility threshold for the Winter Fuel Payment would effectively mean raising the prescribed rates of Pension Credit. Raising the level of the single person’s standard minimum guarantee in Pension Credit so that it matches or exceeds the full rate of the new State Pension to allow entitlement to the Winter Fuel Payment would draw more pensioners into means testing; thus undermining the rationale for the new State Pension - the full rate of which is set at a level higher than the Pension Credit standard minimum guarantee for a single person. The primary purpose of Pension Credit is to provide poorer pensioners with a guaranteed income level, and we know there are eligible pensioners who aren’t claiming Pension Credit. This is why, since September, we have been running the biggest ever Pension Credit take-up campaign. We want to ensure as many people as possible have access to Pension Credit and the other support it leads to.

What steps her Department is taking to increase the uptake of pension credit among eligible pensioners in Aldridge Brownhills.

The Department’s campaign to promote Pension Credit has been running since September 2024.The campaign has featured on TV, radio, social media such as Facebook and Instagram, on YouTube and on advertising screens, including on GP and Post Office screens.Over the coming weeks, as part of the annual State Pension uprating exercise, around 11 million pensioners will receive a leaflet promoting Pension Credit along with their State Pension uprating letter.We are also improving our use of existing data to target pensioners making new claims for Housing Benefit who we identify as potentially eligible for Pension Credit. We are writing to these pensioners to encourage them to also apply for Pension Credit.The latest statistics on Pension Credit application volumes were published on 27 February 2025. This provides an update to the Applications and Awards data, including those awarded and not awarded and also statistics on the number of outstanding Pension Credit applications. The statistics provide weekly information for the period 3 April 2023 up to 23 February 2025. Pension Credit applications and awards: February 2025 - GOV.UK.

How many applications for Pension Credit have been determined as eligible; and how many remain outstanding in the Aldridge-Brownhills constituency.

The latest statistics on Pension Credit application volumes were published on 27 February 2025. This provides an update to the Applications and Awards data, including those awarded and not awarded and also statistics on the number of outstanding Pension Credit applications. The statistics provide weekly information for the period 3 April 2023 up to 23 February 2025. Pension Credit applications and awards: February 2025 - GOV.UK. The most recent available data for week commencing 17 February 2025 shows there were 33,700 outstanding Pension Credit claims. The statistics on Pension Credit claims are published at national level.

How many people (a) are eligible to apply and (b) have applied for Pension Credit in Aldridge-Brownhills constituency.

Latest caseload statistics show that as of August 2024, there were 1,359,773 people in receipt of Pension Credit in Great Britain, of which 2,086 were in Aldridge-Brownhills constituency. This data is available via DWP Stat-Xplore. The latest available DWP quarterly Pension Credit application and awards statistics show that for year-to-date 2024 to 2025 , 300,000 applications for Pension Credit were made in Great Britain. These statistics are only available at Great Britain level and cannot be broken down to smaller geographical areas. This data is available at: Pension Credit applications and awards: February 2025 - GOV.UK. Earlier, published DWP Pension Credit Take-up statistics estimate that up to 760,000 households in Great Britain who were entitled to Pension Credit did not receive it. These statistics are only available at Great Britain level and cannot be broken down to smaller geographical areas. The latest available Pension Credit take-up statistics for Great Britain cover the financial year 2022 to 2023 and are available at: Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up: financial year ending 2023 - GOV.UK.

How many people (a) are eligible to apply and (b) have applied for Pension Credit.

Latest caseload statistics show that as of August 2024, there were 1,359,773 people in receipt of Pension Credit in Great Britain, of which 2,086 were in Aldridge-Brownhills constituency. This data is available via DWP Stat-Xplore. The latest available DWP quarterly Pension Credit application and awards statistics show that for year-to-date 2024 to 2025 , 300,000 applications for Pension Credit were made in Great Britain. These statistics are only available at Great Britain level and cannot be broken down to smaller geographical areas. This data is available at: Pension Credit applications and awards: February 2025 - GOV.UK. Earlier, published DWP Pension Credit Take-up statistics estimate that up to 760,000 households in Great Britain who were entitled to Pension Credit did not receive it. These statistics are only available at Great Britain level and cannot be broken down to smaller geographical areas. The latest available Pension Credit take-up statistics for Great Britain cover the financial year 2022 to 2023 and are available at: Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up: financial year ending 2023 - GOV.UK.

Pursuant to the Answer of 30 January 2025 to Question 26008 on Pension Credit, how many people eligible for Pension Credit were awaiting Winter Fuel Payments as of (a) 30 December 2024 and (b) 31 January 2025.

Where the customer is eligible for a Winter Fuel Payment, the Department aims to make this payment within 2 weeks of the award of Pension Credit. Customers won't miss out on Winter Fuel Payments even if their qualifying benefit takes longer to process than usual.

What estimate she has made of the number of pending pension credit applications as of 21 December 2024.

Outstanding Pension Credit claims totalled 92,400 at the end of week commencing 23rd December 2024. This includes 8,500 advanced claims. Advanced claims are where the application can be started up to 4 months before reaching State Pension age. The most recent available information shows 74,000 claims outstanding at the end of week commencing 13 January 2025. This includes 8,700 advanced claims. Please note, the data shown is unpublished management information, collected and intended for internal departmental use and has not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard.

Pursuant to her Answer of 11 September 2024 to Question 2913 on Pension Credit: Take-up, how many full-time equivalent (a) staff, (b) new staff and (c) staff reallocated from other roles in her Department are supporting the programme of activity to increase the number of Pension Credit claims; and for how long additional staff are expected to be allocated to supporting that programme.

Prior to the Winter Fuel announcement, Retirement Services Directorate (RSD) had 352 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) staff deployed on Pension Credit claims. Since the announcement, a deployment plan has been agreed to deploy an additional 537 FTE into RSD to support Pension Credit. With a further 156 FTE planned to onboard from recruitment between November 2024 and January 2025 . Additional staff will remain for as long as necessary to ensure customers will get a decision on their Pension Credit claim.