§ Mr. WebbTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will provide details of the pilot schemes being launched in April designed to encourage pensioners to claim the income support to which they are entitled. [29605]
§ Mr. Denham[holding answer 16 February 1998]: We are particularly concerned about the million pensioners who are not claiming Income Support. We have already commissioned research into the reasons why pensioners do not claim their entitlement. This is due to report in the Autumn.
In addition, we intend to run a series of local take-up pilots designed to test different ways of identifying potential claimants and the most effective and efficient ways of encouraging them to claim, including simplifying the claim process. Following a consultation meeting officials had with Help the Aged, Age Concern and others, we are finalising the design of the pilots. We will announce further details of the pilots shortly.