HC Deb 02 June 1997 vol 295 cc111-2W
Mr. Vaz

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what estimate she has made of the number of pensioners currently living below the poverty line in Britain; [1826]

(2) what plans she has to reduce poverty among pensioners with low incomes. [1825]

Mr. Denham

The poorest pensioners in Britain include the 810,000 to 1,100,000 who do not take up their entitlement to Income Support. We want to get help to them and are commissioning research to establish why they do not claim the Income Support to which is their due.