Simon Kirby – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Kirby on 2014-04-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to tackle pensioner poverty; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Webb

This Government wants all pensioners to have a decent and secure income in retirement. We have restored the link to earnings for the Basic State Pension and also introduced the ‘triple lock’, the guarantee that the Basic State Pension will increase by the highest of the growth in average earnings, price increases or 2.5 per cent. We have protected key benefits for older people including: free eye tests; free NHS prescriptions; free bus passes; free television licences for those aged 75 and over and Winter Fuel Payments.