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1124612

	registered interest
	date	02/05/2019
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Pension Credit
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 30 April 2018 to Question 247596, what assessment he has made of the factors influencing the decline in views of the Pension Credit toolkit: landing page from 2014 to 2018.
	tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
	tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
	uin	250446
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/05/2019 answer text <p>The Pension Credit toolkit is an on-line tool aimed at agencies and welfare rights organisations to help them encourage Pension Credit take-up. The toolkit landing page can be found at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pension-credit-toolkit" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pension-credit-toolkit</a></p><p> </p><p>The advice and guidance for stakeholders toolkit page can be found at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pension-credit-toolkit/pension-credit-toolkit-advice-and-guidance-for-stakeholders" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pension-credit-toolkit/pension-credit-toolkit-advice-and-guidance-for-stakeholders</a></p><p /><p>An assessment of the viewings of these web pages has not been undertaken.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 09/05/2019 15:11:07 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

1124171

	registered interest
	date	01/05/2019
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	State Retirement Pensions: British Nationals Abroad
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons not all UK pensioners living overseas receive annual pension uprating.
	tabling member constituency	North Thanet
	tabling member printed	Sir Roger Gale
	uin	249790
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/05/2019 answer text <p>Since WW2 successive Governments, Labour, the Coalition and Conservatives have had the same policy. The policy on up-rating the UK State Pension abroad is long-standing and unchanged. UK State Pensions are payable worldwide and they are up-rated for overseas residents where there is a legal requirement to do so.</p><p> </p><p>The cost of up-rating State Pensions would increase by more than £3 billion over five years if payments to recipients in countries where they are not currently up-rated were increased to the rates payable had the recipients never left the UK. It is not proposed to change this policy.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman grouped question UIN 249963 question first answered 08/05/2019 14:52:36 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	87 label Biography information for Sir Roger Gale

1124222

	registered interest
	date	01/05/2019
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	State Retirement Pensions: Reciprocal Arrangements
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what effect the UK leaving the EU without a deal would have on reciprocal pension agreements with EU member states.
	tabling member constituency	Romford
	tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
	uin	249961
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2019 answer text <p>The Government has consistently put citizens’ rights first in our negotiations with the EU. The best way to guarantee those rights, which include social security, both for UK nationals in the EU and EU citizens in the UK, is the deal that the Government has secured. The Government supported the amendment put forward by Alberto Costa MP which requires the Government to seek a joint UK/EU commitment to preserve the citizens’ rights section of the Withdrawal Agreement whatever the outcome of negotiations. The letter to the European Commission setting out the Government’s position and the Commission’s reply is available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/costa-amendment-letter-to-the-eu-institutions" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/costa-amendment-letter-to-the-eu-institutions</a></p><p> </p><p>The current EU arrangements providing for reciprocity in social security would no longer apply if the UK leaves the EU without a deal.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman grouped question UIN 249962 question first answered 14/05/2019 13:52:36 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell

1124223

	registered interest
	date	01/05/2019
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	State Retirement Pensions: Reciprocal Arrangements
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions the Government have held with (a) the EU and (b) individual EU member states on reciprocal pension agreements after the UK leaves the EU.
	tabling member constituency	Romford
	tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
	uin	249962
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2019 answer text <p>The Government has consistently put citizens’ rights first in our negotiations with the EU. The best way to guarantee those rights, which include social security, both for UK nationals in the EU and EU citizens in the UK, is the deal that the Government has secured. The Government supported the amendment put forward by Alberto Costa MP which requires the Government to seek a joint UK/EU commitment to preserve the citizens’ rights section of the Withdrawal Agreement whatever the outcome of negotiations. The letter to the European Commission setting out the Government’s position and the Commission’s reply is available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/costa-amendment-letter-to-the-eu-institutions" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/costa-amendment-letter-to-the-eu-institutions</a></p><p> </p><p>The current EU arrangements providing for reciprocity in social security would no longer apply if the UK leaves the EU without a deal.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman grouped question UIN 249961 question first answered 14/05/2019 13:52:36 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell

1124224

	registered interest
	date	01/05/2019
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	State Retirement Pensions: British Nationals Abroad
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons the Government has not agreed to uprate the pensions of UK nationals resident outside the EU; and if will she make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Romford
	tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
	uin	249963
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/05/2019 answer text <p>Since WW2 successive Governments, Labour, the Coalition and Conservatives have had the same policy. The policy on up-rating the UK State Pension abroad is long-standing and unchanged. UK State Pensions are payable worldwide and they are up-rated for overseas residents where there is a legal requirement to do so.</p><p> </p><p>The cost of up-rating State Pensions would increase by more than £3 billion over five years if payments to recipients in countries where they are not currently up-rated were increased to the rates payable had the recipients never left the UK. It is not proposed to change this policy.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman grouped question UIN 249790 question first answered 08/05/2019 14:52:36 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell

1123701

	registered interest
	date	29/04/2019
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	State Retirement Pensions: Females
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department took in response to the increased number of complaints to the Independent Case Examiner from women affected by the state pension age increase between October 2016 and November 2018.
	tabling member constituency	Motherwell and Wishaw
	tabling member printed	Marion Fellows
	uin	248717
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/05/2019 answer text <p>The Independent Case Examiner is by its nature and name, independent. It reviews complaints about the DWP and its contracted service providers, in those cases where the complainant has exhausted the relevant internal complaints process and remains dissatisfied with the final response to their complaint.</p><p> </p><p>The service provided by the Independent Case Examiner’s Office is demand led, and its resources are reviewed on an annual basis. The Independent Case Examiner’s Office received funding for thirteen additional staff in 2018/2019 financial year, during which productivity increased with the Independent Case Examiner’s Office clearing 1,246 complaints, compared to 955 in the previous reporting year.</p><p> </p><p>The Independent Case Examiner’s Office accepted the first complaint concerning communications associated with changes to women’s State Pension age in October 2016. Due to the volume of complaint referrals received from this group of complainants, the Independent Case Examiner Office took the decision to bring a lead case into investigation in January 2017, in order to familiarise itself with the issues underpinning the orchestrated complaints campaign. This investigation concluded in June 2017 – The Independent Case Examiner did not uphold the complaint.</p><p> </p><p>To deal specifically with this group of complaints, the Independent Case Examiner’s Office set up a team of three Investigation Case Managers in October 2017. This team concluded 192 investigations between October 2017 and November 2018, none of which were upheld on the main element of complaint. The Independent Case Examiner’s Office closed this group of complaints in December 2018, when they became subject to legal proceedings, as is required under its governance contract.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 02/05/2019 15:18:56 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4440 label Biography information for Marion Fellows

1123711

	registered interest
	date	29/04/2019
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Pension Credit
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 15 April 2019 to Question 243355 on Pension Credit, how many times was the online pension credit toolkit accessed in each year for which data is available.
	tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
	tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
	uin	248594
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/05/2019 answer text <p>The Pension Credit toolkit is an on-line tool aimed at agencies and welfare rights organisations to help them encourage Pension Credit take-up. It can be found at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pension-credit-toolkit" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pension-credit-toolkit</a></p><p> </p><p>The toolkit contains resources for anyone working with pensioners and includes guides to Pension Credit. It also contains publicity material and guidance designed to help older people understand how they could get Pension Credit and help organisations support someone applying for Pension Credit as well as ideas for encouraging take-up. The toolkit also provides links to information about disability and carers benefits.</p><p> </p><p>The Information available on the number of times the Pension Credit toolkit was accessed is in the table below. This includes data on the number of viewings of the Pension Credit overview page on <a href="http://www.gov.uk" target="_blank">www.gov.uk</a> which is considered the most likely initial starting point for the public obtaining on line information about Pension Credit.</p><p> </p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td colspan="6"><p><strong>Page views</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Page</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2019 to 25 April</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2018</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2017</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2016</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2015</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2014</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Pension Credit toolkit: landing page</p></td><td><p>1,466</p></td><td><p>2,078</p></td><td><p>3,399</p></td><td><p>4,133</p></td><td><p>4,527</p></td><td><p>12,909</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Pension Credit toolkit: advice and guidance for stakeholders</p></td><td><p>5,791</p></td><td><p>9,884</p></td><td><p>18,336</p></td><td><p>21,363</p></td><td><p>27,644</p></td><td><p>10,755</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Pension Credit guidance for customers overview page</p></td><td><p>406,024</p></td><td><p>1,134,852</p></td><td><p>1,307,562</p></td><td><p>1,412,375</p></td><td><p>1,318,770</p></td><td><p>1,306,531</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong>Notes:</strong></p><p>1. Data is for calendar years</p><p>2. Data refers to the following webpages</p><p> </p><ul><li>toolkit landing page<br><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pension-credit-toolkit" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pension-credit-toolkit</a></li><li>advice and guidance for stakeholders<br><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pension-credit-toolkit/pension-credit-toolkit-advice-and-guidance-for-stakeholders" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pension-credit-toolkit/pension-credit-toolkit-advice-and-guidance-for-stakeholders</a></li><li>first page of the main Pension Credit guide for claimants <br><a href="https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit</a></li></ul><p>3. Data shows the number of times these webpages were accessed.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 02/05/2019 15:10:40 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

1123712

	registered interest
	date	29/04/2019
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Pension Credit
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 15 April 2019 to Question 243355 on Pension Credit, for what reason information on Departmental budgets for promoting pension credit take-up rates are unavailable; and if she will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
	tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
	uin	248595
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/05/2019 answer text <p>The DWP uses a wide variety of different channels and partners to communicate information about Pension Credit and other welfare entitlements to potential and existing customers. Specific information on how much is spent on increasing take-up rates for Pension Credit is not available. I also refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 29 April 2019 to Question UIN 246944.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 09/05/2019 15:36:37 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

1123047

	registered interest
	date	25/04/2019
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	National Insurance Contributions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in each constituency have incomplete national insurance records for their pension because they have omitted to pay the contributions in past contributory years.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Frank Field
	uin	247595
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2019 answer text <p>Although the Government holds data on National Insurance records, it is based on a 1 per cent sample of the National Insurance and PAYE System (NPS) which is not sufficient to provide data at a constituency level. So the specific information requested is not available.</p><p> </p><p>It is worth noting that over the course of someone’s working life it is possible to have some gaps in their National Insurance record and still get the full amount of State Pension. For example, in the case of the new State Pension, if we assume around a 50 year working life, this allows for roughly 15 years of gaps.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 30/04/2019 15:13:29 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1123144

	registered interest
	date	25/04/2019
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	State Retirement Pensions: Females
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will publish a response to EDM 2296 on providing financial restitution to born in the 1950s women.
	tabling member constituency	Glasgow North
	tabling member printed	Patrick Grady
	uin	247728
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2019 answer text <p>The approach of Labour, Conservative and the Coalition governments for the last 24 years since the 1995 pensions Act is the same. This Government’s position on the changes to State Pension age (SPa) remains clear and consistent.</p><p> </p><p>The legislative changes to women’s SPa address the longstanding inequalities that had previously existed between men and women’s SPa. If State Pension age had not been equalised, women would be spending over 40 per cent of their adult life in retirement and this proportion would be continuing to increase. Even after equalising women's State Pension age with men's, women will spend on average around two years more in receipt of their State Pension because of their longer life expectancy.</p><p> </p><p>The overall trend in the percentage of pensioners living in poverty is a dramatic fall over several decades. We are forecast to spend over £120 billion on benefits for pensioners, including £99 billion on the State Pension (2019/2020). In 2019/20 we are spending £3.1 billion to increase benefit and pension rates for pensioners.</p><p> </p><p>The welfare system continues to provide a safety-net for those experiencing hardship, including that caused by unemployment, disability, and coping with caring responsibilities which affect those unable to work and therefore most in need in the run up to their State Pension age. Women who have had their State Pension age increased have the same eligibility to working age in-work, out-of-work and disability benefits as a man with the same date of birth.</p><p> </p><p>This matter has been comprehensively debated on many occasions in Parliament, and any amendment to the current legislation which creates a new inequality between men and women would be highly dubious as a matter of law. The Government does not respond to individual EDMs.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 30/04/2019 12:18:46 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4432 label Biography information for Patrick Grady