Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Social Justice – in the Senedd at 2:02 pm on 8 June 2022.
Well, Mike Hedges, you make crucial points and provide evidence of why we do need that increase, from the UK Government, in terms of state pensions. That needs to be not just supplemented but uprated. I mean, we have the situation in terms of all benefits where it was uprated by 3.1 per cent in April, and yet, here we are with inflation rates of 10 per cent and rising. So, there's going to be a huge shortfall and impact in terms of fuel and food poverty, and you make a crucial point in terms of ways in which older people might then go through the heating-or-eating scenarios that we know from evidence is such a reality—a terrible reality for people's lives. So, I am very keen that all Members across the Chamber support our national benefit take-up campaign. We've got a working group specifically looking at promoting pension credit, and, actually, that does include Department for Work and Pensions officials and stakeholders, the Older People's Commissioner for Wales and Age Concern, so it's going to be a call to action for pensioners. But, clearly, this is something where we—. In terms of addressing these issues—and meeting with your cross-party group yesterday was very helpful to see—cost of living is now key on their agenda in terms of supporting older people.