UK GOVERNMENT MUST ACT TO INCREASE PENSION CREDIT UPTAKE

I asked the UK Government to explain why the uptake of pension credit is so low and what the Leader of the House plans to do to address this matter. The charity Independent Age estimates that 2,754 pensioner households in my constituency of North Ayrshire and Arran are missing out on a combined £7.4 million every year in pension credit they are entitled to claim.

Pension Credit is a vital benefit to top-up the incomes of low-income pensioners to ensure they have enough money to live on. It helps to tackle pensioner poverty and support some of our most vulnerable older people. It also provides extra benefits such as free TV-licenses for the over 75s, free dental care as well as Council Tax reductions and exemptions.

It is worrying that there have been no initiatives from the UK Government to increase the uptake of Pension Credit and they must act to address this.

Watch the exchange below.