§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what measures he has taken to ensure that advice is available to benefit recipients on the interaction between housing/council tax benefit and the pension credit; and what is the anticipated cost of that advice; [14448]
156W(2) if he will make a statement on how entitlements to housing and council tax benefit will be affected by the pension credit; [14447]
§ Mr. McCartneyThe pension credit forms a key part of the Government's overall strategy for tackling pensioner poverty.
We are completing the design of the pension credit and will publish details of our proposals, including the interaction of pension credit with housing benefit and council tax benefit, when the Bill is introduced. We are planning a more customer-focused service tailored to individual needs which will include information on the benefits to which pensioners may be entitled.