Pensions and Benefits Uprating

Debate between Steve Webb and Henry Smith

Thursday 4th December 2014 Commons Chamber

[Steve Webb]

Indeed. My hon. Friend obviously writes very quickly, and he was correct in every particular. The increase in the pension rate for a single person is £2.85 a week and it is £4.55 a week for those on what we loosely call the couples rate. I can confirm that all the figures he gave were correct.

[Henry Smith (Crawley) (Con)]

Pensioners in Crawley will very much welcome what is a generous and fair increase in the state pension. What is my hon. Friend’s observation on the fact that barely more than half a dozen Labour Members have attended this statement, particularly given the fact that this is clearly good news for pensioners up and down the country?

[Steve Webb]

My hon. Friend puts his finger on it. The Opposition have struggled to find anything to criticise in the statement. So few of them have turned up because it is a positive measure both for pensioners and for vulnerable people in our society.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Steve Webb and Henry Smith

Monday 31st March 2014 Commons Chamber

[Henry Smith (Crawley) (Con)]

T2. What is my right hon. Friend’s assessment of how the Government’s triple lock guarantee for increases in the state pension has benefited thousands of pensioners in my constituency and across the country?

[The Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Steve Webb)]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for flagging the fact that we have increased the basic state pension by whichever of earnings, prices or 2.5% gives the best outcome for pensioners. Compared with the earnings link, which we think the Opposition would have restored from 2012, that is an extra £440 a year in state pension for pensioners in our constituencies.

Pensions Strategy

Debate between Steve Webb and Henry Smith

Thursday 20th March 2014 Commons Chamber

[Steve Webb]

The hon. Gentleman is quite right that products must be properly regulated. The difference between the current situation and what we propose is that, under our proposals, before going to independent financial advisers, people are guaranteed to have a conversation with somebody who is independent and on their side to talk them through their options. All too many people simply do not get that at the moment, and they risk making the wrong choice as a result. We will put that right.

[Henry Smith (Crawley) (Con)]

Despite the Labour party’s scaremongering since the Budget yesterday, will my hon. Friend confirm that other countries—such as the United States, Australia and Denmark—do not restrict access to pension funds for those seeking to access them on retirement?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Steve Webb and Henry Smith

Monday 14th October 2013 Commons Chamber

[Henry Smith (Crawley) (Con)]

Will the Secretary of State update the House on the innovation fund and how it is helping separated families?

[Steve Webb]

This is money designed to help and support separated families. We have spent £6.5 million so far on seven projects in the voluntary and private sector designed to help with things such as mediation. Although it is early days, we have anecdotal examples whereby we have enabled families to function together for the benefit of the child, and whereby the child’s performance at school is improving as well as maintenance flowing.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Steve Webb and Henry Smith

Monday 10th January 2011 Commons Chamber

[Henry Smith (Crawley) (Con)]

23. What assistance his Department has provided to vulnerable people during the recent period of severe weather.

[The Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Steve Webb)]

This winter we have paid a record £427 million in cold weather payments, with 17 million separate payments.

[Henry Smith]

I am grateful to the Minister for his answer. Can he confirm that, contrary to various scare stories that we have heard in recent weeks, cold weather payments will continue into the future?

[Steve Webb]

As my hon. Friend suggests, there are two systems of support during the winter months: the winter fuel payment, which the Chancellor has confirmed will continue on exactly the basis budgeted for by the previous Government; and the cold weather payments, which will not continue on the basis budgeted for by the previous Government because they were going to cut them by two thirds and we are going to keep them at £25 a week.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Steve Webb and Henry Smith

Monday 22nd November 2010 Commons Chamber

[Steve Webb]

As the hon. Lady may be aware, when elements are included in primary legislation, statutory equality impact assessments are published at the time that the legislation is published—and will be available to the House.

[Henry Smith (Crawley) (Con)]

8. What recent progress his Department has made on delivering its Work programme.