Source · Select Committees · Welsh Affairs Committee
Recommendation 11
11
Paragraph: 87
Without the uplift, benefits for the unemployed are at their lowest real-terms level since the...
Conclusion
Without the uplift, benefits for the unemployed are at their lowest real-terms level since the early 1990s. Had they grown in line with GDP per capita since 1990, they would be £40 a week higher. The future value of benefits is also being reduced given the increasing cost of living, as inflation is predicted to rise above 7% by April, but benefits for those in work and unemployed are only rising by 3.1%.
Paragraph Reference:
87
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
The Department for Work and Pensions is undertaking a range of actions to raise awareness of Pension Credit and encourage eligible pensioners to claim, as part of a new national communications campaign, launched on 4 April. The campaign features promotional activity on social media and on search engines so that it features prominently on internet search results. In June, the campaign will extend to include advertising in regional and national newspapers. The Department for Work and Pensions will also be producing and distributing leaflets and posters, which can be used across local communities as well as updating our digital toolkit with information and resources that any stakeholder can use to help promote Pension Credit. The Department for Work and Pensions and Welsh Government officials engage regularly on respective Pension Credit take—up activities and details of the latest communications campaign have been shared through our well-established communication channels.