Brooke Speaks out to Tackle Pensioner Poverty

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Fri 21st Jul 2006

Annette Brooke MP, Member of the Committee of Public Accounts, said today:

"There is no doubt that Pension Credit is a big improvement on its predecessor, in terms of the number of pensioners it is reaching, although the target of paying three million households by 2006 will not be met. The Department has come some way since the time it administered all these benefits but seemed reluctant to encourage people to claim them.

"But the fact remains that billions of pounds due to pensioners is still going unclaimed, up to £2 billion in Pension Credit alone, and that many of those who could most use the money are among those not getting it. More than a million pensioners are still not claiming Pension Credit, and, even more worryingly, take-up rates for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit are actually falling.

"While the individual amounts concerned may be relatively small, an extra £10 or £20 a week can make a huge difference to a pensioner's quality of life. It is clear that this is a safety net where the holes are frighteningly wide and much more needs to be done to stop people slipping through."

ENDS