Asked by: Kelvin Hopkins (Independent - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost to the public purse was of providing free TV licences to people over the age of 75 for qualifying residents in (a) Luton North constituency, and (b) Luton local authority area in (i) 2017-18 and (ii) 2018-19.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
In the 2015 funding settlement, the Government agreed with the BBC that responsibility for the concession will transfer to the BBC in June 2020.
The government and the BBC agreed this is a fair deal for the BBC - in return we closed the iPlayer loophole and committed to increase the licence fee in line with inflation. And to help with financial planning, we agreed to provide phased transitional funding over 2 years to gradually introduce the cost to the BBC.
This reform was subject to public discussion and debated extensively during the passage of the Digital Economy Act 2017 through Parliament.
On 10 June 2019, the BBC announced that the current scheme will end. From 1 June 2020, a free TV licence will only be available to a household with someone aged over 75 who receives Pension Credit.
The table below provides estimates of the costs for 2017/18 of providing free TV licences to people aged 75 and over in the geographical areas requested, in nominal prices. The figures for 2018/19 will be available in September.
| Expenditure (£m) (Nominal) |
| 2017-18 |
(a) Luton North constituency | £0.90 |
(b) Luton local authority area | £1.55 |
Asked by: Kelvin Hopkins (Independent - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what processes her Department uses to (a) notify people of their state pension entitlement and (b) advise them of the number of additional qualifying years of national insurance contributions required to obtain the full state pension; and whether that information is provided via a single communication.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Reforms to the State Pension were recommended by the Pensions Commission in 2005, which was set up under the then Labour Government. These recommendations were taken forward in the design of the new State Pension by the coalition Government.
Since 2014, the Department for Work and Pensions has carried out a comprehensive communication campaign to bring the new State Pension to people’s attention with advertisements in newspapers, on social media and on radio stations across the country as well as working through Stakeholders to raise public awareness of the changes. There is also a significant package of on-line information about the State Pension at www.gov.uk.
Our online service, Check your State Pension (CySP), is key in supporting the communication campaign. This service provides a State Pension forecast (based on the individual’s current National Insurance record and an assumption that future years count towards their State Pension), and the earliest date the individual can get their State Pension. Users can look at their National Insurance record, where they will also find out how many qualifying years they have and any gaps in their contributions. Since February 2016, over 10 million State Pension forecasts have now been viewed online, helping millions of people to plan for their retirement. Those who are unable to use the online CySP service can request to get a State Pension forecast posted to them.
The CySP service also gives personalised information on whether the payment of (Class 3) voluntary National Insurance Contributions (vNICs) may improve their forecast. Whether or not an individual can improve their State Pension position by making vNICs will depend upon their own particular circumstances. It is entirely a decision for the individual to make but it may not always be beneficial. A person normally has six years in which to pay vNICs for a given tax year.
Anyone considering making vNICs payments should firstly check their State Pension using the CySP service on www.gov.uk. Where someone pays Class 3 vNICs and the payment does not result in an increase their State Pension, they can request a refund from HMRC.
People with no National Insurance record before the introduction of the new State
Pension on 6 April 2016 will need 35 qualifying years to get the full amount of new State Pension, when they reach State Pension age.
For people with an existing National Insurance record before this date, transitional arrangements apply and their existing National Insurance (NI) record to 6 April 2016 is taken into account. (It is therefore not the case that 35 years of National Insurance will result in the full rate of the new State Pension for these people; in these cases there is usually not a direct relationship between the number of years of National Insurance contributions and the amount of State Pension someone receives.)
People who qualify will receive at least as much from the new State Pension as they would have done from the old system, based on their NI record to 6 April 2018;
Many people will be able to build a higher State Pension amount than they previously could have done by adding further qualifying years until they either reach the full rate of new State Pension, or their State Pension age whichever comes first
Asked by: Kelvin Hopkins (Independent - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the requirement to have 35 qualifying years of national insurance contributions to be eligible for a full state pension is set out in correspondence sent to people in relation to (a) their national insurance record and (b) their state pension.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Reforms to the State Pension were recommended by the Pensions Commission in 2005, which was set up under the then Labour Government. These recommendations were taken forward in the design of the new State Pension by the coalition Government.
Since 2014, the Department for Work and Pensions has carried out a comprehensive communication campaign to bring the new State Pension to people’s attention with advertisements in newspapers, on social media and on radio stations across the country as well as working through Stakeholders to raise public awareness of the changes. There is also a significant package of on-line information about the State Pension at www.gov.uk.
Our online service, Check your State Pension (CySP), is key in supporting the communication campaign. This service provides a State Pension forecast (based on the individual’s current National Insurance record and an assumption that future years count towards their State Pension), and the earliest date the individual can get their State Pension. Users can look at their National Insurance record, where they will also find out how many qualifying years they have and any gaps in their contributions. Since February 2016, over 10 million State Pension forecasts have now been viewed online, helping millions of people to plan for their retirement. Those who are unable to use the online CySP service can request to get a State Pension forecast posted to them.
The CySP service also gives personalised information on whether the payment of (Class 3) voluntary National Insurance Contributions (vNICs) may improve their forecast. Whether or not an individual can improve their State Pension position by making vNICs will depend upon their own particular circumstances. It is entirely a decision for the individual to make but it may not always be beneficial. A person normally has six years in which to pay vNICs for a given tax year.
Anyone considering making vNICs payments should firstly check their State Pension using the CySP service on www.gov.uk. Where someone pays Class 3 vNICs and the payment does not result in an increase their State Pension, they can request a refund from HMRC.
People with no National Insurance record before the introduction of the new State
Pension on 6 April 2016 will need 35 qualifying years to get the full amount of new State Pension, when they reach State Pension age.
For people with an existing National Insurance record before this date, transitional arrangements apply and their existing National Insurance (NI) record to 6 April 2016 is taken into account. (It is therefore not the case that 35 years of National Insurance will result in the full rate of the new State Pension for these people; in these cases there is usually not a direct relationship between the number of years of National Insurance contributions and the amount of State Pension someone receives.)
People who qualify will receive at least as much from the new State Pension as they would have done from the old system, based on their NI record to 6 April 2018;
Many people will be able to build a higher State Pension amount than they previously could have done by adding further qualifying years until they either reach the full rate of new State Pension, or their State Pension age whichever comes first
Asked by: Kelvin Hopkins (Independent - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have (a) made additional payments to increase the number of qualifying years of National Insurance contributions they require to claim the full state pension and (b) by making such payments have (i) exceeded the 35 years required to claim that pension and (ii) been refunded for making overpayments.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The requested information relating to the payment of voluntary Class 3 National Insurance contributions is not readily available.
People with no National Insurance record before the introduction of the new State Pension on 6 April 2016 will need 35 qualifying years to get the full amount of new State Pension, when they reach State Pension age.
For people with an existing National Insurance record before this date, transitional arrangements apply and their existing National Insurance (NI) record to 6 April 2016 is taken into account. (It is therefore not the case that 35 years of National Insurance will result in the full rate of the new State Pension for these people; in these cases there is usually not a direct relationship between the number of years of National Insurance contributions and the amount of State Pension someone receives.)
People who qualify will receive at least as much from the new State Pension as they would have done from the old system, based on their NI record to 6 April 2018;
Many people will be able to build a higher State Pension amount than they previously could have done by adding further qualifying years until they either reach the full rate of new State Pension, or their State Pension age whichever comes first
Asked by: Kelvin Hopkins (Independent - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to require companies with a deficit on their defined benefit pension scheme to seek the approval of the Pensions Regulator before agreeing to any merger or takeover.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Our Green Paper: Security and Sustainability in Defined Benefit Schemes looked at a number of potential measures to further protect DB schemes – including introducing a system for compulsory clearance by the Regulator for certain corporate transactions and a requirement for employers to consult with trustees before paying dividends where the scheme is underfunded.
We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish a White Paper in winter. Any future changes to legislation need to be considered carefully against the need to ensure appropriate protections for members, the impact on business and the wider economy.
Asked by: Kelvin Hopkins (Independent - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will introduce legislative proposals to prohibit companies with a deficit on their defined benefit pension scheme from paying any dividends without the prior approval of the Pensions Regulators.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Our Green Paper: Security and Sustainability in Defined Benefit Schemes looked at a number of potential measures to further protect DB schemes – including introducing a system for compulsory clearance by the Regulator for certain corporate transactions and a requirement for employers to consult with trustees before paying dividends where the scheme is underfunded.
We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish a White Paper in winter. Any future changes to legislation need to be considered carefully against the need to ensure appropriate protections for members, the impact on business and the wider economy.
Asked by: Kelvin Hopkins (Independent - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much (a) basic and (b) additional state pension per week that woman born on 5 April 1953 would receive with 35 years' worth of both National Insurance Contributions and contracting-in to the state second pension; and how much in the new state pension a woman born on 6 April 1953 would receive with 35 years' worth of both National Insurance Contributions and contracting-in to the state second pension.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
The new State Pension has been introduced for people reaching their State Pension age from 6 April 2016 onwards; this question asks what the difference would be for a woman reaching State Pension age either side of its introduction.
In this case a woman born on 5 April 1953 with a 35 year contracted-in National Insurance record would receive £119.30 a week in basic State Pension plus an amount of additional State Pension. We are unable to quantify the amount of additional State Pension she would receive as it would be related to her past earnings.
For the woman born on 6 April 1953, the Starting Amount calculation for the new State Pension means that she would receive at least as much under the new State Pension as she would have done under the previous system. It is likely that her Starting Amount would be based on the old State Pension system rules as she has never been contracted-out. So, as for the woman born on 5 April 1953, this would be the full basic State Pension (£119.30 a week) plus an amount of additional State Pension which would have depended on her past earnings.
It is likely that the two women you have described would receive the same amount at the date of the award.
Asked by: Kelvin Hopkins (Independent - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the end-dates are of his Department's contracts with Hewlett Packard Enterprise; which such contracts he plans to extend, for what reasons and to what dates; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department has four contracts with Hewlett Packard Enterprise: Application Development and Application Maintenance & Support – these two contracts expired on 29/02/2016 and an extension has been agreed to 28/02/2018. Hosting – this contract runs till 23/02/2018. Desktop – this contract runs till 08/01/2017. DWP future contracting plans are commercially sensitive. The Department is progressing its strategy to deliver its technology requirements, and this includes both in-house services, and externally provided services sourced through procurement exercises using open competitions under the EU Procurement Directives and call-off competitions under Government Frameworks.
Asked by: Kelvin Hopkins (Independent - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his Department's plans are for the delivery of IT and digital services after the end dates of current contracts.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department anticipates a shift in the way in which citizens will engage with the Department - with greater digital interaction in the future. Digital Technology, Data and Security capabilities are a key enabler of this shift. The Department is progressing its strategy to deliver the underpinning technology requirements, and this includes both in-house services and externally provided services through procurement exercises using open competitions under the EU Procurement Directives and call-off competitions under Government Frameworks, such as GCloud and Crown Hosting.
Asked by: Kelvin Hopkins (Independent - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his Department's plans are for the procurement of IT and digital services beyond the end dates of its current contracts.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department anticipates a shift in the way in which citizens will engage with the Department - with greater digital interaction in the future. Digital Technology, Data and Security capabilities are a key enabler of this shift. The department initiates on an ongoing basis a number of procurement exercises using open competitions under the EU Procurement Directives and call-off competitions under Government Frameworks.