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Written Question
State Retirement Pensions: Females
Wednesday 18th March 2020

Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of reinstating the state pension for 1950s women; and if she will make a statement.

Answered by Guy Opperman

Changes to State Pension age were made over a series of Acts by successive governments from 1995 onwards; including the Coalition 2010-2015, Labour 1997-2010 and the Conservatives 1995-1997, following public consultations and extensive debates in both Houses of Parliament. Through the welfare system, the Government is committed to providing financial support for people at every stage of their life, including when they near or reach retirement.

Women born between 6 April 1950 and 5 April 1953 were affected by State Pension age equalisation under the Pensions Act 1995. The Pensions Act 2011 accelerated the equalisation of State Pension age, and included transitional arrangements limiting State Pension age delays, affecting women born between 6 April 1953 and 5 December 1953. It also brought forward the increase in State Pension age from 65 to 66 which affected women born between 6 December 1953 and 5 April 1960.

The Department published estimates on the cost of reversing the women’s State Pension age to 60 and men’s State Pension age to 65 on the 7th June 2019.

The publication shows the estimated cost of reversing women’s State Pension age back to 60 and men’s State Pension age back to 65 over the period 2010/11 to 2025/26, to be £181.4bn for women and £33.8bn for men with an overall cost estimate of £215.2bn.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/analysis-relating-to-state-pension-age-changes-from-the-1995-and-2011-pensions-acts/analysis-relating-to-state-pension-age-changes-from-the-1995-and-2011-pensions-acts

Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 04 Feb 2020
Universal Credit: Delayed Roll-Out

"I commend the Government for delaying the roll-out of universal credit and, indeed, for the changes that they have made to the system over the last four years or so, but may I ask the Minister to give serious consideration to getting rid of the five-week wait, notwithstanding the answer …..."
Peter Aldous - View Speech

View all Peter Aldous (Con - Waveney) contributions to the debate on: Universal Credit: Delayed Roll-Out
Written Question
State Retirement Pensions
Tuesday 7th January 2020

Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of increasing by 25 pence the state pension for people over the age of 80.

Answered by Guy Opperman

The Age Addition is paid to people who reached State Pension age prior to 6th April 2016 when they claim their State Pension and attain 80 years of age. It is not payable to those people who reached State Pension age on or after 6th April 2016.

In March 2019, the most recent date for which data are available, there were approximately 3.3m people in receipt of the payment, at a weekly cost of approximately £820,000.

Source: DWP Administrative data, March 2019

Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 01 Jul 2019
Oral Answers to Questions

"12. What steps the Government are taking to increase financial support for vulnerable universal credit claimants, compared with the legacy system. ..."
Peter Aldous - View Speech

View all Peter Aldous (Con - Waveney) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 01 Jul 2019
Oral Answers to Questions

"I acknowledge the work that the Minister and the Secretary of State have done to improve universal credit, though concern remains that the five-week wait for the first payment is presenting a serious challenge to many people. To address this, will he accept the recommendation of the Bright Blue think-tank …..."
Peter Aldous - View Speech

View all Peter Aldous (Con - Waveney) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Speech in Westminster Hall - Wed 05 Jun 2019
Universal Credit and Debt

"I hope that as I am the only speaker from the Government side, you might show me a little leniency, Sir Henry, but anyway, it is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship. I congratulate the hon. Member for High Peak (Ruth George) on securing the debate.

The full roll-out …..."
Peter Aldous - View Speech

View all Peter Aldous (Con - Waveney) contributions to the debate on: Universal Credit and Debt
Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 07 Jan 2019
Oral Answers to Questions

"12. What assessment the Government have made of the effectiveness of universal credit in helping people into work. ..."
Peter Aldous - View Speech

View all Peter Aldous (Con - Waveney) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 07 Jan 2019
Oral Answers to Questions

"Given that the planned objective of universal credit is to move people closer to and into the workplace, can the Secretary of State confirm that empirical, rather than anecdotal, evidence is being compiled on a national basis, and that it will be made available for public scrutiny so that the …..."
Peter Aldous - View Speech

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Speech in Westminster Hall - Wed 28 Nov 2018
Universal Support: East Suffolk

"I beg to move,

That this House has considered universal support in East Suffolk.

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Hosie, and I welcome the Minister. The Government set up the universal support system to assist universal credit claimants in making claims and managing the payments …..."
Peter Aldous - View Speech

View all Peter Aldous (Con - Waveney) contributions to the debate on: Universal Support: East Suffolk
Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 17 Oct 2018
Universal Credit

"The full roll-out of universal credit in Lowestoft that started in May 2016 has not been straightforward. Almost from the outset, my office received a very large number of complaints, some of which have been addressed through working with the DWP, the council and Citizens Advice. However, it is clear …..."
Peter Aldous - View Speech

View all Peter Aldous (Con - Waveney) contributions to the debate on: Universal Credit