Benefit Taken Up By Pensioners

EDM number 1155 in 1997-98, proposed by Edward O'Hara on 26/03/1998.

That this House notes that latest government figures reveal that over one million pensioners are still not claiming as much as ú1.7 billion of benefit to which they are entitled; notes that this means as many as one in three eligible pensioners are not receiving income support worth an averageú16.10 per week, one in four eligible pensioners are not receiving council tax benefit worth ú5.70 per week and one in 10 eligible pensioners are not receiving housing benefit worth ú22.80 per week; welcomes Age Concern's awareness campaign 'Your Rights Week' to be held from 3rd to 9th April; considers that this will help increase awareness of benefit entitlement; and hopes that the Government's pilot projects on income support announced on 10th March will identify new ways in which to get extra help to the poorest pensioners as soon as possible.

This motion has been signed by a total of 99 MPs.