B

Baroness Stedman-Scott (Con)

Speaking in the House of Lords on 14 November 2024

Debate

Social Security Advisory Committee: Winter Fuel Payment

Contribution

My Lords, I trust that the Minister will agree that the Social Security Advisory Committee made six reasonable recommendations in its letter. I urge all noble Lords to read it. I ask the Minister to respond to the letter, particularly covering the point about the additional cost of pension credit against the savings of the winter fuel allowance. There are a number of other benefits that pensioners may well get that could be impacted by taking pension credit. I am sure that all the things the committee raised in the letter would raise unintended consequences, but we want to avoid making a difficult position worse. I draw noble Lords’ attention to one: “We would encourage the government to assess the equity of excluding housing benefit as a qualifying benefit on the basis of incomes after housing costs, rather than on the basis of gross incomes”. When the Minister replies to that letter, I ask that she place a copy in the Library for all noble Lords to see.

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