Asked by: Ian Blackford (Scottish National Party - Ross, Skye and Lochaber)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will introduce a right to statutory inflation increases for defined pension schemes that have pre-1997 accrued rights.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
If a pensioner’s pre-1997 defined benefit pension rights include a Guaranteed Minimum Pension (GMP) earned after April 1988, that element must be increased by inflation, capped at 3 per cent.
Defined benefit pensions accrued after 1997 are subject to statutory limited price indexation: inflation capped at 5 per cent for pensions accrued between April 1997 and April 2005 and inflation caped at 2.5 per cent for pensions accrued after April 2005.
We have no plans to change this.
Asked by: Ian Blackford (Scottish National Party - Ross, Skye and Lochaber)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the minimum formal notice period is for pensionable age changes to be notified to individuals by his Department.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
There is no formal legal requirement to provide notice within a minimum period. However, the Government is committed to not changing the legislation relating to State Pension age for those people who are within 10 years of reaching it. This means that there will be at least 10 years between any future Act getting Royal Assent and the provisions of that Act which change State Pension age coming into force to ensure that individuals are able to plan for the future
In addition to giving adequate notice, we recognise the importance of ensuring people are aware of any changes to their State Pension age and we use a number of different means to do this. In the past, these have included writing to people and targeted communications campaigns. However, we continue to look at the most effective way to ensure people are aware of any changes. Anyone can find out their State Pension age with our online calculator or the ‘Check your State Pension’ statement service.
Asked by: Ian Blackford (Scottish National Party - Ross, Skye and Lochaber)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his policy is on the minimum written notice to be given to people who will be affected by future changes to the state pension age.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
The Government has committed not to change the legislation relating to State Pension age for those people who are within 10 years of reaching it. This provides these individuals with the certainty they need to plan for the future
We recognise the importance of ensuring people are aware of any changes to their State Pension age and we use a number of different means to do this. In the past, these have included writing to people and targeted communications campaigns. However, we continue to look at the most effective way to ensure people are aware of any changes. Anyone can find out their State Pension age with our online calculator or the ‘Check your State Pension’ statement service.
Asked by: Ian Blackford (Scottish National Party - Ross, Skye and Lochaber)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what minimum written notice was given to women affected by state pension age increases under the Pensions Act 1995 and Pensions Act 2011.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
Between April 2009 and March 2011, the Department mailed all women born between 6th April 1950 and 5th April 1953, informing them of their State Pension age under the 1995 Pensions Act. This involved sending 1.16 million letters to the affected females.
Following the 2011 changes, DWP wrote to all individuals directly affected to inform them of the change to their State Pension age. This applied to women born between 6th April 1953 and 5th April 1960. These letters were sent between January 2012 and November 2013. This involved sending 5.77 million letters to the affected males and females.
In addition to writing directly to those affected, the Government provided a range of information in order for all individuals to be able to find out their State Pension age and conditions of their benefits. For example, following the Pensions Act 1995, State Pension estimates, issued to individuals on request, made the changes clear. DWP also ran a pensions education campaign in 2004, which included informing people of the future equalisation of State Pension.
Asked by: Ian Blackford (Scottish National Party - Ross, Skye and Lochaber)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 24 May 2016 to Question 37321, on healthy life expectancy, what specific assessment he has made of what account is taken of healthy life expectancy distinct from life expectancy in making decisions on future levels of pension age.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
In making decisions on future State Pension age arrangements the Secretary of State will be informed by the first review, established under the Pensions Act 2014, which is due to report by May 2017. This review will take into account up to date life expectancy data and the report from the independently led review.
The purpose of the independent report is to recommend to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what to consider when making decisions on future State Pension age arrangements. In conducting its analysis and reaching recommendations the review will also to have regard to variations between different groups and the views of organisation and individuals on factors to be taken into account. It will consult widely to ensure that it has considered the appropriate evidence and the range of views of interested parties.
Asked by: Ian Blackford (Scottish National Party - Ross, Skye and Lochaber)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with which other EU countries the UK has a bilateral arrangement for the payment of annual uprating of pensions that would remain in force in the event of the UK leaving the EU.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The terms of the UK’s bilateral social security agreements with EU Member States, some of which date from the 1950s, are generally superseded by EU Regulations.
The Government’s position is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU. If the result of the referendum is a decision to leave, then the Government will have two years under the Article 50 process to seek to negotiate the terms, including the payment of pensions, of the UK’s exit, with the possibility of extending this time frame with the agreement of the other 27 Member States.
Asked by: Ian Blackford (Scottish National Party - Ross, Skye and Lochaber)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions his Department has had with the Canadian government on the uprating of pensions for UK citizens living in that country.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The positions of the Canadian and UK governments on this issue were most recently discussed in 2013.
Asked by: Ian Blackford (Scottish National Party - Ross, Skye and Lochaber)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on potential mitigation measures for women that have witnessed an increase in their pensionable age.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Secretary of State is in regular contact with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on a range of pensions issues.
The State Pension age changes, which were made to put pensions on a more financially sustainable footing given increases in life expectancy, were fully debated and voted on when the legislation was before Parliament.
During the Pensions Act 2011 a concession, worth £1.1 billion, was introduced to limit the impact of the rising State Pension age on those women most affected. These transitional arrangements capped the maximum delay at 18 months rather than two years, relative to the previous timetable.
Unwinding any of these changes means asking young people to assume more of the cost, and after they’ve already borne their fair share of the tough decisions made last Parliament to bring Government spending under control.
Therefore, the Secretary of State is clear that there are no plans to bring forward further concessions or changes.
Asked by: Ian Blackford (Scottish National Party - Ross, Skye and Lochaber)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information his Department holds on what other OECD member states do not uprate the pensions of its pensioners living abroad; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department does not hold the information requested.
Asked by: Ian Blackford (Scottish National Party - Ross, Skye and Lochaber)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will (a) review and (b) slow down the rate of increase in pensionable age for women.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The State Pension age changes, which were made to put pensions on a more financially sustainable footing given increases in life expectancy, were fully debated and voted on when the legislation was before Parliament.
During the Pensions Act 2011 a concession, worth £1.1 billion, was introduced to limit the impact of the rising State Pension age on those women most affected. These transitional arrangements capped the maximum delay at 18 months rather than two years, relative to the previous timetable.
Unwinding any of these changes means asking young people to assume more of the cost, and after they’ve already borne their fair share of the tough decisions made last Parliament to bring Government spending under control.
Therefore, the Secretary of State is clear that there are no plans to bring forward further concessions or changes.