MPs to examine Pensions Credit take-up in Northern Ireland
The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee will hold a one-off evidence session to examine Pension Credit take-up in Northern Ireland.
The delivery of social security benefits is devolved to NI, and figures from the Department for Communities reveal that in 2019/20 around 28% of those eligible for Pension Credit were not receiving it.
With a report last year from the Work and Pensions Committee warning that low take-up across the UK remains a significant and long-standing problem that contributes to pensioner poverty, the session will explore the current situation in NI and the barriers that people face to claiming the entitlement.
Meeting details
Giving evidence will be Siobhan Casey, Commissioner for Older People in Northern Ireland, and Kevin Higgins from financial support charity Advice NI. As well as facing questions on what is preventing people claiming Pension Credit and the impact on eligible pensioners, they are likely to be asked about the effectiveness of initiatives to increase take-up and the respective roles of the UK Government and NI Executive.