Pension Credit

That the Parliament understands that the Scottish Government is statutorily obligated to do everything in its power to encourage take-up of pension credit for eligible applicants; believes that social security is an essential human right; notes with concern that Age Scotland estimates around £332 million-worth of financial support is going unclaimed by 123,000 older households across the country; acknowledges the results of Age Scotland’s Big Survey of Older People 2021, which reported that 38% had struggled to pay increased bills and 26% felt financially squeezed; notes with concern modelling by the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, which suggest that tens of thousands of Scotland's households will experience fuel poverty as a result of Ofgem’s record price cap rise, and urges the Scottish Government to liaise with local authorities to outline a new campaign to raise awareness of pension credit to increase take-up among eligible older people.