Work and Pensions Committee - Fifth Report
Tackling Pensioner Poverty

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Here you can browse the report together with the Proceedings of the Committee. The published report was ordered by the House of Commons to be printed 15 July 2009.

Contents

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Terms of Reference

Summary

1  Introduction

Background to the inquiry

Numbers of pensioners living in poverty

Income needs

Vulnerable Groups

Older pensioners and women

Black and Minority Ethnic pensioners

Disabled pensioners

Carers

People in care homes

Tenants

Conclusions on vulnerable groups

Pensioner Incomes

Projections of future pensioner incomes

Pensioners who are income-poor but asset-rich

Adapting to changing circumstances

2  Benefit System

Basic State Pension
Rate of the Basic State Pension

State Second Pension (S2P)

Pension Credit

Pensions Reform

The effect of the 2010 changes

The earnings link

Future of Savings Credit

Lump Sum Payments

Tariff Income

Where benefits fit with the poverty line

Eradicating pensioner poverty

3  Take-up

Take-up of Pension Credit

Reasons for non-take-up of Pension Credit

Pension, Disability and Carers Service take-up work

Groups with particularly low take-up

Ethnic Minorities

Regional variation

Home Owners

Pension, Disability and Carers Service (PDCS) customer service

Automaticity

Motherwell Pilot

Housing and Council Tax Benefit take-up

Those not claiming

Council Tax Benefit

Housing and Council Tax Benefit take-up and Pension Credit

Service Canada

4  Other benefits

Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance
Rural Areas

Carer's Allowance

Personal Expenses Allowance (PEA)

Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and poverty figures

5  Economic Downturn

Introduction

Personal Accounts

Impact of the economic downturn on private pension provision

Lifestyling

Lifestyling and Personal Accounts

Savings

6  Financial Advice

Introduction
Utilities

Annuities

Retirement planning

Pensions forecasting

Deferring the Basic State Pension

Tax back campaign

Equity Release

Solutions

Money Guidance

7  Work

Work, health and well-being

Discrimination

Age discrimination in employment

Flexible working

Flexible working and carers

Earnings and tax

Support for older workers

Welfare reform and support in overcoming barriers to work

Skills

Carers

Support for older workers in a recession

Conclusions and recommendations

Annex: Committee Visit Note

Formal Minutes

Witnesses

List of written evidence

List of Reports from the Committee during the current Parliament




MINUTES OF EVIDENCE - VOLUME II (HC 411-II)

Wednesday 22 April 2009
Wednesday 13 May 2009
Wednesday 20 May 2009

WRITTEN EVIDENCE - VOLUME II (HC 411-II)

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Prepared 30 July 2009