Facebook post’s figures for the state pension and House of Lords allowance are broadly right

A widely shared post on Facebook includes a screenshot of a tweet from 3 April 2022 that compared the value of the full state pension with the attendance allowance for members of the House of Lords.

We frequently check claims about both these figures on social media—for example, comparing Universal Credit payments to the House of Lords daily allowance, or comparing the state pension to overseas pensions or payments to refugees. We often find the figures given are inaccurate or described misleadingly in some way. But on this occasion the figures and the way they are described are broadly accurate.

This doesn’t mean we’re giving any view on the statement at the end of the post which says “it’s really not hard to see where we’re going wrong”. This is a matter of opinion, which is beyond the scope of fact checking.

The post says: “Full state pension - £179.60 a week.” This was the correct figure for the 2021/22 financial year, when the tweet shown in the Facebook post was originally published. The correct figure in the new tax year that began on 6 April is £185.15. (Some pensioners don’t get the full amount though, while some on low incomes may also be eligible for other benefits.)

On the Lords, the post says: “House of Lords attendance allowance - £323 per day.” This is correct. Peers are eligible to claim this allowance for each day they attend the Lords and do parliamentary work.

When doing other types of official work away from the House, peers can only claim a “reduced allowance” of £162 per day. (They can also claim travel expenses.) Members of the Lords who have ministerial or office holders’ salaries cannot claim either allowance.

Lords’ allowances are not liable for income tax, whereas state pension payments can be.

Image courtesy of UK government