Third Special Report - The cost of living: Government Response to the Committee’s Second Report of Session 2022–23

This is the government's response, published 8 September 2022.

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) sets out its position on the Committee's recommendations on the cost of living, declining several (including a review of benefit adequacy and a written Pension Credit strategy) while describing existing communications work and support measures.

• On benefit uprating, DWP says it "will not be making any IT changes" to legacy benefits as they close, and that there are "no plans to change the up-rating period", because a consistent period means peaks and troughs "even out over time".
• The Government says it does not intend to conduct a specific review of benefit adequacy; in the autumn the Secretary of State will undertake her statutory annual up-rating review and may increase benefits "if she considers it appropriate".
• On the benefit cap, the Government says the cost-of-living payment is exempt from it, and that the Secretary of State "is reviewing further advice on this". It gives no date.
• On Pension Credit, DWP "does not consider that a written strategy or targets for take-up" are required, citing existing work with organisations; it is "looking at processes" that might be simplified but says automatic awards are not possible.

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error