§ Mr. WebbTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners receiving housing and council tax benefit became entitled to pension credit in October; and of that number how many received an increase in their housing and council tax benefit entitlement to reflect the increased thresholds for these benefits. [144652]
§ Mr. PondThe information is not available. However, we estimate that some 1.9 million pensioner households stand to get more help, or help for the first time, through housing benefit and council tax benefit as a result of the introduction of pension credit.
§ Steve WebbTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether pension credit counts as income when assessing housing and council tax benefit. [144653]
§ Mr. PondWhether pension credit is taken into account when assessing housing benefit and council tax benefit depends on which elements of pension credit are in payment.
A person in receipt of the guarantee element of pension credit, or both the guarantee and the savings credit elements of pension credit, has all of their income and capital disregarded for the purposes of housing benefit and council tax benefit. If a person is in receipt of the savings credit element only, then the amount of the savings credit is taken into account as income in the housing benefit or council tax benefit assessment.
However, in October 2003, the applicable amounts in housing benefit and council tax benefit, for people aged 65 and over (or who have partners aged 65 and over) were increased to reflect the maximum savings credit people could get. This ensures that, although the savings