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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

1123261

	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	Pension Credit
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of times the online pensioner toolkit was accessed in each of the last six years.
	tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
	tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
	uin	247596
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2019 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:</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>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>Information available on the number of times the Pension Credit toolkit was accessed is in the table below. For comparative purposes it includes data on the number of viewings of the Pension Credit overview page on GOV.UK, 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 30/04/2019 12:34:32 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

1122756

	registered interest
	date	24/04/2019
	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, what assessment he has made of the merits of a formal policy monitoring spending aimed at increasing take-up rates of pension credit.
	tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
	tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
	uin	246944
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2019 answer text <p>Since 2010, the DWP have increased the annual level of the basic State Pension by £1,450. In 2018/19 we will spend £121.5 billion on benefits for pensioners and by 2023/24 this rises to £143.5 billion. The DWP's policy and essential information to a broad range of customers and other key audiences and provides services to around 22 million people either directly or using a multitude of partners from the third sector. Given that the DWP uses a variety of different channels to communicate information about Pension Credit to potential customers, there are no plans to change the existing arrangements beyond monitoring actual Pension Credit expenditure and the amount of Pension Credit that goes unclaimed. However, the DWP does monitor the take-up of income related benefits, including Pension Credit.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 29/04/2019 16:22:31 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

1122830

	registered interest
	date	24/04/2019
	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	Pensioners: Social Security Benefits
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussions she has had with officials in Northern Ireland on ensuring that older people in difficult financial circumstances are able to access the benefits to which they are entitled.
	tabling member constituency	Belfast North
	tabling member printed	Nigel Dodds
	uin	246950
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/05/2019 answer text <p>There are regular discussions between officials in the Department for Work and Pensions and their counterparts in the Northern Ireland Department for Communities.</p><p> </p><p>The responsibility for ensuring that older people in Northern Ireland access the benefits to which they are entitled is a matter for the Northern Ireland Department for Communities, so DWP officials have not had specific discussions on this particular subject.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 02/05/2019 16:18:05 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	1388 label Biography information for Lord Dodds of Duncairn

1122395

	registered interest
	date	23/04/2019
	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	Pensioners: Social Security Benefits
	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 is taking to ensure that older people on low incomes are able access benefits they are entitled to.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	246475
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2019 answer text <p>The Government is committed to ensuring that older people receive the support they are entitled to and the DWP targets activity on engaging with people who may be eligible to benefits at pivotal stages, such as when they claim State Pension or report a change in their circumstances. The DWP uses a wide range of channels to communicate information about benefits to potential customers; including information on <a href="https://gov.uk/" target="_blank">https://gov.uk/</a>, in leaflets and by telephone. People wishing to claim Pension Credit can do so by calling 0800 99 1234. DWP staff in Pension Centres and Jobcentres including visiting officers are able to provide help and advice about entitlement to benefits, as are staff in Local Authorities who administer Housing Benefit.</p><p> </p><p>One of the best ways to reach eligible customers is through trusted stakeholder working in the community and we have developed the Pension Credit toolkit, as an on-line tool for agencies and welfare rights organisations to use in order to 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>Most recently we have provided to relevant organisations a fact sheet about Pension Credit and forthcoming changes for couples to ensure that accurate information is available in the places where people are most likely to seek information.</p><p> </p><p>The majority of people of pension age in receipt of a State Pension or another social security benefit receive their annual winter fuel payment automatically without the need to make a claim</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 01/05/2019 09:17:31 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1122429

	registered interest
	date	23/04/2019
	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: 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, (a) when and (b) with which countries her Department last signed reciprocal agreements on the uprating of pensions of UK residents overseas.
	tabling member constituency	Knowsley
	tabling member printed	Mr George Howarth
	uin	246456
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2019 answer text <p>The UK last signed a reciprocal social security agreement with Ireland on 1 February 2019 to preserve the rights established through the Common Travel Area arrangements and currently facilitated by EU law. The agreement includes the uprating of pensions for UK and Irish nationals living and/or working in each other’s state once the UK leaves the EU.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 01/05/2019 10:34:49 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	481 label Biography information for Sir George Howarth