Social Security

The hon. Gentleman will be well aware that the figures that I have just given the House show the increase that pensioners have had. Many pensioners are on very low incomes, but they are not in the position that he has identified. I accept that some people on low incomes go bankrupt; housing and other issues can lead to that happening. However, we are talking about helping the poorest third of pensioners to improve their lot in our society and reducing the level of pensioner poverty in this country. I repeat that the poorest third of pensioners are now £2,200 a year better off. I do not think that there is any real doubt that that is the case. We are spending £11 billion more this year than if we had merely continued the policies of the previous Conservative Government. As a result, pensioner poverty has reduced by over a third since 1997. That is a real achievement, of which Labour Members can be very proud. However, we must do more. We have been reducing pensioner poverty, and we treat that as a high priority, but our policies need to take more people out of poverty than we have done up to now.