Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions she has had with (a) pension providers and (b) trade unions on the effects on women of increases to the state pension age and clawback clauses in occupational pension schemes.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
No such discussions on this specific subject have taken place with Cabinet colleagues, pension providers or trade unions.
The Government does not collect the specific data sought.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the effects on women of increases to the state pension age and clawback clauses in occupational pension schemes.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
No such discussions on this specific subject have taken place with Cabinet colleagues, pension providers or trade unions.
The Government does not collect the specific data sought.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
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 number of women who are members of occupational pension schemes for which the scheme rules have not been adjusted to prevent pensions clawback being applied before a member reaches state pension age.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
No such discussions on this specific subject have taken place with Cabinet colleagues, pension providers or trade unions.
The Government does not collect the specific data sought.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
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 number of women who have had a pensions clawback deduction from their occupational pension before they reached state pension age in each year since 2011.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
No such discussions on this specific subject have taken place with Cabinet colleagues, pension providers or trade unions.
The Government does not collect the specific data sought.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the effects on women of so-called clawback clauses in occupational pension schemes.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Dissolution.
Asked by: Kevin Brennan (Labour - Cardiff West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what representations she has received on the HSBC Midland Bank pension clawback; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Successive governments including the Labour government 1997-2010, Coalition and present Conservative government have had a consistent position on this issue. The Department for Work and Pensions receives a number of written representations on the Midland Pension Scheme, which is now part of the HSBC Bank (UK) Pension Scheme, about its integrated pension (or claw-back) policy from individuals and from Members of Parliament writing on their behalf, as it does on many issues.
The Governments position on this issue was set out in response to a written parliamentary question on this subject, which can be accessed here.
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 she will place all reports she received on the practice of HSBC Bank plc in deducting state deduction claw-back from its pensioners in the Library.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Work and Pensions has not received any reports about the practices of HSBC Bank plc on integrated pension schemes (or deducting state deduction clawback). The Department has received a number of written representations regarding integrated pension schemes from individuals and from Members of Parliament writing on their behalf.
There is a detailed explanation on integrated pension schemes in the 15 February 2018 briefing from the House of Commons Library titled ‘Pension integration (or ‘clawback’)’, which was published on the UK Parliament website and is available here:
http://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/SN01121
In addition, the Chair of the Trustees Board of HSBC Bank Pension Trust (UK) Limited has written to the Work and Pension’s Select Committee with more details on its practices. This letter was published on the UK Parliament website on 24 January 2018 and is available here:
Asked by: Jared O'Mara (Independent - Sheffield, Hallam)
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 number of banks and building societies that utilise a clawback feature on their occupational pensions.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government does not currently collect this data. Information on the number of banks and building societies that utilise a pension integration or “clawback” feature on their occupational pension is not collated centrally and could only be provided at a disproportionate cost.
No estimate has been made of the cost to the public purse of the longstanding practice of private pensions operating integrated pension scheme arrangements.
Asked by: Jared O'Mara (Independent - Sheffield, Hallam)
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 any additional state benefits claimed by HSBC/Midland Bank pensioners as a result of the clawback of their occupational pension.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government does not currently collect this data. Information on the number of banks and building societies that utilise a pension integration or “clawback” feature on their occupational pension is not collated centrally and could only be provided at a disproportionate cost.
No estimate has been made of the cost to the public purse of the longstanding practice of private pensions operating integrated pension scheme arrangements.
Asked by: Laura Smith (Labour - Crewe and Nantwich)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the Government's policy is on compensating people affected by the clawback feature of the Midland Bank pension scheme.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Such arrangements are not a DWP matter. It is a decision for employers and trustees to operate “clawback” or “integrated” pension scheme arrangements.
There are no plans to legislate to compel schemes to withdraw an integration arrangement. Any retrospective change would impose significant additional unplanned costs. Pension scheme rules on the calculation of benefits are many and varied, and must remain a matter for employers and scheme trustees to decide.