Select Committee · Work and Pensions Committee

Pensioner Poverty: challenges and mitigations

Status: Closed Opened: 22 Nov 2024 Closed: 1 Jan 2026 12 recommendations 31 conclusions 1 report

Are pension age benefits and the State Pension enough to stop pensioners from falling into poverty? We are looking at the state of pensioner poverty in the UK. Which groups are most affected? What are the health impacts? How do the State Pension and other pension age benefits mitigate the risks? What part is played … Show more

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Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
2nd Report - Pensioner Poverty: challenges and mitigations HC 465 24 Jul 2025 43 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

6 items
25 Conclusion 2nd Report - Pensioner Poverty: challen… Rejected

Develop a national strategy for benefits take-up in England and monitor local authority performance.

DWP should develop a strategy for benefits take-up in England by the end of 2025. It should work with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to develop a framework for monitoring local authority work on take up and holding them to account for the results. We have heard … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government rejects the recommendation to develop a framework for monitoring and holding local authorities accountable for benefit take-up, stating it does not believe additional burdens should be placed on them. It notes its existing support for local authorities and will consider the experience of …
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Department for Work and Pensions
35 Conclusion 2nd Report - Pensioner Poverty: challen… Rejected

Passported benefit cliff-edge creates significant hardship for pensioners just above Pension Credit threshold.

The reason the new State Pension was set above the Pension Credit Guarantee was to improve savings incentives. However, over the years more ‘passported benefits’ have become linked to it, meaning that being just a few pounds above Pension Credit level can now mean missing out on thousands of pounds … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government explains Pension Credit's purpose and rationale, arguing against reintroducing an income taper for the Guarantee Credit due to increased complexity, potential impact on take-up, higher expenditure, and undermining the new State Pension's strategic rationale.
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Department for Work and Pensions
36 Recommendation 2nd Report - Pensioner Poverty: challen… Rejected

Consider implementing a Pension Credit taper and assess options to mitigate its cliff-edge effect.

The Government should consider the case for a taper in Pension Credit, paying particular attention to equity of outcomes for people close to the threshold, and assess other options to mitigate the cliff-edge effect. (Recommendation, Paragraph 175)

Government response AI summary
The government rejects the case for an income taper in Pension Credit, citing concerns about increased complexity, potential impact on take-up, higher expenditure, and undermining the new State Pension's strategic rationale, while noting some benefits are still available to pensioners not receiving Pension Credit.
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Department for Work and Pensions
37 Conclusion 2nd Report - Pensioner Poverty: challen… Rejected

Mixed age couple rule inappropriately places older partners on lower Universal Credit payments.

The mixed age couple rule means that where one member of a couple is under pension age, they must claim working age benefits, rather than pension benefits as previously. The outcome is that some people in their 70s are still on Universal Credit, which is paid at a significantly lower … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government reiterated its existing policy for mixed-age couples to claim Universal Credit, stating this approach ensures working-age members receive support to find work. It confirmed there are no plans to change or explore these requirements, effectively rejecting the implied criticism of its rationale.
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Department for Work and Pensions
38 Recommendation 2nd Report - Pensioner Poverty: challen… Rejected

Investigate work conditionality for younger partners in mixed-age couples, considering health and caring responsibilities.

The Government should investigate the extent to which it is reasonable to assume that the younger partners in these couples should be subject to work conditionality—taking account of any health conditions and caring responsibilities—and report back to the Committee by the end of 2025. (Recommendation, Paragraph 180) Read more

Government response AI summary
The government rejected the recommendation to investigate the conditionality for younger partners in mixed-age couples, stating there are no plans to change or explore these requirements.
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Department for Work and Pensions
42 Recommendation 2nd Report - Pensioner Poverty: challen… Rejected

Produce comprehensive impact assessment of State Pension age increase by 2025, including mitigation.

By the end of 2025, the Government must produce an impact assessment of the forthcoming increase in the State Pension age from 66 to 67. This should consider the cumulative impact of policies and set out the impact on pre-pensioner and pensioner poverty, by income decile and protected characteristic. It … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government rejected the recommendation to produce an impact assessment by the end of 2025, stating that the increase in State Pension age to 67 will only be evaluated once the rise is complete in 2028.
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Department for Work and Pensions

Oral evidence sessions

8 sessions
Date Witnesses
4 Jun 2025 Andrew Latto · Department for Work and Pensions, Laura Adelman · Department for Work and Pensions, Torsten Bell MP · Department for Work and Pensions View ↗
21 May 2025 Anthony Pygram · Committee on Fuel Poverty, Ned Hammond · Energy UK, Peter Smith · National Energy Action, Simon Francis · End Fuel Poverty Coalition View ↗
12 May 2025 Faye Patton · Care and Repair Cymru, Rhian Bowen-Davies, Older People's Commissioner for Wales, Victoria Lloyd · Age Cymru View ↗
30 Apr 2025 David Finch · The Health Foundation, Dr David Attwood · Pathfields Medical Group, Dr Ruth Law · The British Geriatrics Society, Professor Sir Michael Marmot · University College London (UCL), Toby North · Marie Curie View ↗
26 Mar 2025 Daphne Hall · National Association of Welfare Rights Advisers (NAWRA), Dr Juliet Stone · Centre for Research in Social Policy, Loughborough University, Dr Kingsley Purdam · Manchester University, Gareth Morgan · Ferret Information Systems, Gary Vaux · Hertfordshire County Council, Professor Matt Padley · Loughborough University View ↗
26 Feb 2025 Alistair Smyth · National Housing Federation, Councillor David Fothergill · Local Government Association, Deven Ghelani · Policy in Practice, Fabian Chessell · Policy in Practice View ↗
22 Jan 2025 Angela Madden · The WASPI Campaign, Debbie de Spon · The WASPI Campaign, Dr Daniella Jenkins · Women’s Budget Group, Dr Suzy Morrissey · Pensions Policy Institute, Karl Banister · Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, Sasjkia Otto · Fabian Society, Sue Ferns · Prospect Trade Union View ↗
18 Dec 2024 Adam Stachura · Age Scotland, Carl Emmerson · Institute of Fiscal Studies, Carole Easton · Centre for Aging Better, Caroline Abrahams · Age UK, Daniella Silcock, Independent Research Consultant, Jonathan Safir · National Pensioners Convention, Morgan Vine · Independent Age, Peter Matejic · Joseph Rowntree Foundation View ↗

Who gave evidence

40 witnesses
WitnessOrganisationSessions
Adam Stachura · Associate Director of Policy, Communications and … Age Scotland 1
Alistair Smyth · Director of Policy and Research National Housing Federation 1
Andrew Latto · Deputy Director, Devolution, Pensioner Benefits &… Department for Work and Pensions 1
Angela Madden · Campaign Chair The WASPI Campaign 1
Anthony Pygram · Member Committee on Fuel Poverty 1
Carl Emmerson · Member, and Deputy Director Institute of Fiscal Studies 1
Carole Easton · CEO Centre for Aging Better 1
Caroline Abrahams · Charity Director Age UK 1
Councillor David Fothergill · Chair of the Community Wellbeing Board Local Government Association 1
Daniella Silcock, Independent Research Consultant 1
Daphne Hall · Co Chair National Association of Welfare Rights Advisers (NAWRA) 1
David Finch · Associate Director, Healthy Lives Team The Health Foundation 1
Debbie de Spon · Communications Director The WASPI Campaign 1
Deven Ghelani · Director and Founder Policy in Practice 1
Dr Daniella Jenkins · Member of Policy Advisory Group and Incoming Exec… Women’s Budget Group 1
Dr David Attwood · GP Partner Pathfields Medical Group 1
Dr Juliet Stone · Research Fellow Centre for Research in Social Policy, Loughborough University 1
Dr Kingsley Purdam · Lecturer, Social Statistics Manchester University 1
Dr Ruth Law · Honorary Secretary The British Geriatrics Society 1
Dr Suzy Morrissey · Deputy Director Pensions Policy Institute 1
Fabian Chessell · Central Government Lead Policy in Practice 1
Faye Patton · Head of Policy and Insights Care and Repair Cymru 1
Gareth Morgan · CEO Ferret Information Systems 1
Gary Vaux · Head of Money Advice Hertfordshire County Council 1
Jonathan Safir · National Administration and Information Manager National Pensioners Convention 1
Karl Banister · Director of Operations, Legal and Clinical Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman 1
Laura Adelman · Deputy Director, Pensions and Later Life Analysis Department for Work and Pensions 1
Morgan Vine · Director of Policy and Influencing Independent Age 1
Ned Hammond · Deputy Director for Policy Energy UK 1
Peter Matejic · Chief Analyst, Insight and Policy Joseph Rowntree Foundation 1
Peter Smith · Director of Policy and Advocacy National Energy Action 1
Professor Matt Padley · Co-Director of the Centre for Research in Social … Loughborough University 1
Professor Sir Michael Marmot · Director of the Institute of Health Equity and Pr… University College London (UCL) 1
Rhian Bowen-Davies, Older People's Commissioner for Wales 1
Sasjkia Otto · Senior Researcher Fabian Society 1
Simon Francis · Co-ordinator End Fuel Poverty Coalition 1
Sue Ferns · Senior Deputy General Secretary Prospect Trade Union 1
Toby North · Head of Public Affairs Marie Curie 1
Torsten Bell MP · Minister for Pensions Department for Work and Pensions 1
Victoria Lloyd · Chief Executive Age Cymru 1

Correspondence

1 letter
DateDirectionTitle
25 Jun 2025 From cttee Letter to Torsten Bell MP, Minister for Pensions. relating to the Pensioner …