Pensioner Poverty: challenges and mitigations

Work and Pensions Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 22 Nov 2024 Closed: 1 Jan 2026 Parliament page
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 … Read more
12 Recommendations
31 Conclusions
1 Report
8 Oral sessions
1 Letter
8 Events
Activity timeline 19 events
10 Nov
2025
Report published
24 Jul
2025
Report published
25 Jun
2025
Correspondence
4 Jun
2025
Oral evidence
4 Jun
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 16, Palace of Westminster
21 May
2025
Oral evidence
21 May
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 6, Palace of Westminster
12 May
2025
Oral evidence
12 May
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Senedd, Cardiff
30 Apr
2025
Oral evidence
30 Apr
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 16, Palace of Westminster
26 Mar
2025
Oral evidence
Oral evidence sessions 8 sessions
4 Jun 2025
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Work and Pensions Committee
Andrew Latto · Department for Work and Pensions Laura Adelman · Department for Work and Pensions Torsten Bell MP · Department for Work and Pensions
21 May 2025
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Work and Pensions Committee
Anthony Pygram · Committee on Fuel Poverty Ned Hammond · Energy UK Peter Smith · National Energy Action Simon Francis · End Fuel Poverty Coalition
12 May 2025
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Pensioner Poverty
Faye Patton · Care and Repair Cymru Rhian Bowen-Davies, Older People's Commissioner for Wales Victoria Lloyd · Age Cymru
30 Apr 2025
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Pensioner Poverty: Panel 1; Pensioner Poverty: Panel 2; Pensioner Poverty: Panel 3
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
26 Mar 2025
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Work and Pensions Committee
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
26 Feb 2025
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Work and Pensions Committee
Alistair Smyth · National Housing Federation Councillor David Fothergill · Local Government Association Deven Ghelani · Policy in Practice Fabian Chessell · Policy in Practice
22 Jan 2025
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Work and Pensions Committee
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
18 Dec 2024
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Work and Pensions Committee
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
Title HC No. Published Items Response
2nd Report - Pensioner Poverty: challenges and mitigations HC 465 24 Jul 2025 43 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
6 results
Clear
25 Conclusion Rejected
2nd Report - Pensioner Poverty: ch…
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 … Read more
Government Response
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 Scottish and Welsh governments' take-up activities, but does not commit to a specific take-up strategy for England by 2025 or promote research on economic gains.
Department for Work and Pensions
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35 Conclusion Rejected
2nd Report - Pensioner Poverty: ch…
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 … Read more
Government Response
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.
Department for Work and Pensions
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36 Recommendation Rejected
2nd Report - Pensioner Poverty: ch…
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
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.
Department for Work and Pensions
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37 Conclusion Rejected
2nd Report - Pensioner Poverty: ch…
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 … Read more
Government Response
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.
Department for Work and Pensions
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38 Recommendation Rejected
2nd Report - Pensioner Poverty: ch…
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 … Read more
Government Response
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.
Department for Work and Pensions
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42 Recommendation Rejected
2nd Report - Pensioner Poverty: ch…
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 … Read more
Government Response
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.
Department for Work and Pensions
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Government Response AI assessment · 42 of 12 classified
Accepted 10
Accepted in Part 1
Acknowledged 10
Deferred 7
Not Addressed 8
Rejected 6
Total 12 recs + 31 conclusions
Correspondence 1 letter
25 Jun 2025 From committee Letter to Torsten Bell MP, Minister for Pensions. relating to the Pensioner Poverty evidence session on 4 June
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