Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the timeliness of state pension payments to UK nationals living abroad whose payments have been outsourced to an American Bank.

The payment of state pensions to UK nationals has not been outsourced.

Benefit and pension payments are dispersed to overseas customers on their due date in accordance with clearance times stipulated by each countries international clearing house. These can fluctuate between 2 and 11 days, depending on the countries processing regulations.