We have no plans to extend access to state pension based on a deceased partner\u2019s National Insurance contributions to surviving members of cohabiting couples. This is a feature of the old State Pension system for surviving spouses and civil partners who reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016 and, except as provided by transitional arrangements, will not apply to people in the new State Pension.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4068", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Harrington of Watford"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Watford"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Richard Harrington"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-03-02", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-03-02T15:20:52.267Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2017-02-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "State Retirement Pensions"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to make changes to the state pension rules for cohabiting, unmarried couple to allow a cohabitee to claim extra state pension payments after their cohabitee's decease.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4572", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chris Elmore"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Ogmore"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Chris Elmore"} ], "uin" : "65248"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/606854", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/606854/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
I am responding on behalf of the Secretary of State (SoS), as Minister for Pensions with overall responsibility on this issue.<\/p>
The previous Minister Baroness Altmann and Minister Shailesh Vara (the previous Under-Secretary of State for DWP) met with representatives of the WASPI group on 29th June 2016 to listen to their concerns. Although WASPI\u2019s ask was unclear, at the time, Ministers indicated that the DWP did not have the available funds to deliver further concessions.<\/p>
One other outcome from that meeting was that WASPI agreed to explore options with the relevant All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG). A meeting between APPG representatives, the SoS and myself is being taken forward, and consequently there is nothing further to be gained from meeting WASPI representatives directly.<\/p>
I should add that I have been quite clear that the Government will make no further changes to the pension age or pay financial redress in lieu of a pension.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4068", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Harrington of Watford"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Watford"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Richard Harrington"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2016-10-27", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2016-10-27T14:45:15.303Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2016-10-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "State Retirement Pensions: Females"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will meet representatives of the Women Against State Pension Inequality campaign.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4572", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chris Elmore"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Ogmore"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Chris Elmore"} ], "uin" : "49721"} ], "itemsPerPage" : 10, "page" : 0, "startIndex" : 1, "totalResults" : 2, "type" : ["http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#ListEndpoint", "http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#Page"]} }