Damien Moore MP welcomes campaign to boost take up of pension credit in Southport

SOUTHPORT MP Damien Moore is supporting a new Conservative campaign to boost the take up of Pension Credit in Southport as part of the Government's commitment to help people with the cost of living.

Pension Credit is a top up to the State Pension for the most vulnerable pensioners in the country. Those eligible receive a direct cash top up averaging £3,300, in addition to a range of other benefits, such as help with housing costs, Council tax reduction schemes, heating bills, and a free over 75's TV licence.

There are already 2,990 claimants of Pension Credit in Southport, but an estimated 25% of people eligible for the extra help do not currently receive it.

This is why the Conservative Government has launched a major campaign to encourage eligible pensioners, as well as those who care for and support older people, to access the help they are entitled to.

The Department for Work and Pensions will send leaflets to 11 million pensioners, and a high profile media day will also take place on 15 June 2022.

Pension Credit can be claimed online, by telephone, and by post. Information is available online, and by calling the Freephone Pension Credit Claim Line on:- 0800991234.

Damien Moore, MP for Southport, said:- "Whilst it is great news that 2,990 pensioners in Southport are already receiving extra support from the Government through Pension Credit, it is concerning that there could be a further 1,000 people in our town who may be eligible for this support, but don't know that they meet the criteria. This support is worth £3,300 on average, which is why the Conservative Government has launched this major campaign to encourage eligible pensioners to access the help they are entitled to. I urge everybody to speak with their loved ones who may be eligible and encourage them to check, either online or over the phone. It is right that we do everything we can to help our pensioners at this difficult time, and I will continue speaking with Ministers to ensure that my constituents' concerns are heard and that the support we deliver, such as Pension Credit, is taken up where possible."

Support for cost of living may not go far enough, says Bill Esterson MP

BILL Esterson MP has raised concerns about the Government's support package to tackle the rise in energy bills, saying there are serious questions about whether the proposals are being introduced early enough or whether they go far enough. Mr Esterson, MP for Sefton Central and Shadow Minister for Business and Industry, said the Government was "rudderless" under the Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and that where Labour was leading, the Government was forced to follow. Mr Esterson said the Government had adopted a windfall tax on energy companies after Labour called for the move 250 times over the last 5 months, but that businesses needed more support in the face of rising energy costs.

Mr Esterson said:- "The Labour party is winning the battle of ideas in Britain; where we lead, the Conservatives are forced to follow. We pushed for a windfall tax on the excess profits of our energy companies. The Government has now adopted it. We said the buy now pay later scheme for help with energy bills was wrong. The Government has now ditched it. This is a chaotic, discredited and rudderless Government under the disgraced Boris Johnson, who is clinging on to power despite having been found to have broken the law during lockdown and presiding over a workforce at Number 10 which had total disdain for the rules they put in place and expected everyone else to follow."

Mr Esterson said despite the package of measures announced by the Government to help with household bills, questions remained.

Mr Esterson said:- "There is support for people on means-tested benefits but when will this be received by those who need it? There is a reference to 'from July' and also a mention of 'from Autumn'. I am not confident that people in my constituency will get the help they need before the winter bills start coming in. And before anyone gets carried away, the Government has cut £1,040 from people on Universal Credit s, to the £1,200 towards energy bills is only just restoring cuts which the Conservatives have just made to some of the poorest people in our country. The Conservative plan is also going to take time to help and people are going to be hit with higher energy bills on top a a big tax increase which happened in April, when the Conservatives increased National Insurance. Measures such as the temporary cut in VAT on domestic energy that Labour has called for could be delivered much more quickly providing immediate support to households. And where is the support for businesses? People with second and even third homes get multiple grants but there is no support for businesses facing steep rises in energy costs, including energy intensive sectors like steel and ceramics. Labour's plan includes a contingency fund for these sectors and a tax cut for small business. The Conservative failure to help businesses will have a direct impact on jobs too as crippling energy bills are affecting the ability of employers to stay open. Where is the Conservatives' long term plan for growing and protecting our economy? We need to fix the causes, not just the symptoms of the cost of living crisis. That's why Labour have a plan for our long term energy security, and a long term plan to grow the economy."

Labour's proposals include insulating 19 million homes in a decade, cutting gas imports by 15% and cutting bills by up to £400; doubling onshore wind capacity to power an extra 10 million homes; increasing offshore wind capacity to at least 75GW by 2035; tripling solar power by 2030, backing tidal power and furthering investment in hydrogen; and ending the delay on nuclear power, confirming Sizewell C and backing small modular reactors.