A fascinating presentatiobn on how a fintech approach can help local authorities identify candidates for pension credit

1. Pension Credit Take-up
Policy in Practice
2022

2. Introductions and Objectives
What impact is your current take-up campaign having, and
are you able to track this?
Is there appetite for DWP to work jointly with PiP and LAs?
www.policyinpractice.co.uk

3. How we increase pension credit take-up
www.policyinpractice.co.uk
Our LIFT platform pools administrative data, and carries
out advanced analytics to identify people who are
struggling financially, and missing out on support.
We can flag people missing out on Pension Credit, and a
range of other benefits.
Local authorities then engage these households through
locally run and supported engagement campaigns.

4. Campaigns across London and Kent show the
effectiveness of our campaigns.
Islington confirmed take-up among 268 people,
from 689 identified within three months (39%).
Folkestone and Hythe saw 44 people (from 98)
take-up pension credit within three months, with
similar success in Gravesham.
The average gain for each households is £2,700
per annum. This rises with passported support
(e.g. free television licenses) or other benefits
(reduced long term care costs) are factored in.
The average gain per household is £2,700
www.policyinpractice.co.uk

5. A national campaign would yield £230m
www.policyinpractice.co.uk
Based on our analysis across thirty-three local authorities, we believe we
can identify 250,000 pensioners missing out nationally.
Using a one-in-three takeup rate, (exceeded across our client base) we
could help 85,000 take-up the benefit within three months.
The impact nationally would be an additional £230m in annual income to
the worst off pensioner households.
Factoring in life expectancy and other benefits such as television licenses,
the lifetime impact of the campaign would be £1.5bn.

6. It’s great that DWP is running a communications campaign to
increase take-up. How cost-effective is this, and what
increase in take-up have you seen since the campaign has
been running?
The typical take-up rate in a letter campaign is below 5%. The
highest take-up rates in a national campaign run in 2010/11
was 13.1%, but these households received help from a DWP
officer to help with the claims.
People like local support, and often need help completing the
application. They are already applying for Housing Benefit
through the local authority, so the council has many of their
details.
DWP or local authority led campaigns?
www.policyinpractice.co.uk

7. ● Best placed to offer support either direct or through trusted partners locally (including partners such
as Age UK, Independent Age or other local charities)
○ Ensures residents know where local support is, if they need further help or guidance now or
in the future.
○ Isn’t just about money but wider social issues such as loneliness.
○ Can maximise their support in terms of other benefits entitled to and/or reducing their bills,
such as free TV licence and warm homes discounts.
○ Can address any debts owed to Local Authorities, and tackle wider debt issues.
○ LA’s have built more trust during pandemic with their residents due to contact around
shielded calls, test and trace payments and various discretionary benefits administered; so
would lead to greater take up success than a generic comms campaign.
Locality approach using LAs
www.policyinpractice.co.uk

8. Next Steps
www.policyinpractice.co.uk
PIP is well placed to scale up its work with local authorities,
and provide DWP the data it needs on people eligible for but
missing out on support.
What is your appetite for a national pension credit take-up
campaign, automated applications, or a wider take-up
campaign led by local authorities?