House of Commons · Urgent Question
04 February 2025 · 16 other contributors
Opened by Luke Evans Con Hinckley and Bosworth
Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.
Luke Evans raised concerns about social security benefits 2025-02-04 in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.
Key points
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.
Opened the debate
Will the Minister clarify how long the tax on state pension will remain in place? The Conservative Government previously committed to removing this fiscal drag, but the current status is unclear. Given that under the Budget, the review of this situation does not occur until 2028, constituents are concerned about their financial security.
Question
Will the Minister confirm that pensioners will still have to submit tax returns due to the taxation of state pensions? The previous Government brought in this measure, and we campaigned to remove it. When will this situation change?
Minister reply
The hon. Member raises a valid point regarding processing time for pension credit applications. While there is no current plan to alter the status quo until 2028 as per the Budget, efforts are being made to streamline application processes.
Question
It was what you did.
Minister reply
The hon. Member rightly points out that it is important for applications to be processed speedily, and we are moving extra staff onto pension credit processing.
Question
We indeed want more people to take up pension credit. However, one of the biggest problems is the processing time. The response to a written question showed that there was a 75% success rate in getting applications processed within 50 days, which means it did not happen for one in four applicants.
Minister reply
The hon. Gentleman is quite right; we have moved extra staff onto pension credit processing, and I can confirm everybody who applied before 21 December will receive their winter fuel payment if successful.
Question
The MP asks if reducing the taper rate is a viable method to incentivise people back into employment, referring to previous reforms that reduced it from 63% to 55%. He seeks confirmation on whether such measures could help address welfare dependency.
Minister reply
The Minister acknowledges the effectiveness of reducing the taper rate as part of earlier reforms but does not provide a specific commitment regarding further adjustments in this context.
Question
Inquiring about Opposition plans for incapacity benefit reform, given their history with such issues.
Minister reply
The Minister responds by outlining previous Labour proposals that were halted due to the general election and expresses hope that the current Government will introduce reforms soon.
Question
Reflecting on surgeries where people are off sick with health issues, he asks about incentives for those keen to return to work despite broken health systems.
Minister reply
The Minister agrees that healthcare reform is important but suggests it may not be sufficient alone and urges further action within the DWP.
Question
Not directly asked, but implied in criticism of delay since election win in bringing forward welfare reforms.
Minister reply
The Minister acknowledges delays and hints at upcoming reforms but does not confirm specific actions or timelines.
Question
Will the hon. Lady give way?
Question
I can also refer the shadow Minister to his own Cabinet Office reports, which showed that sanctions were not effective in getting people into work.
Question
Discussed issues around social security system including cases of individuals struggling with the transition from incapacity support to universal credit, highlighting the importance of considering people who have worked all their lives but face health challenges later in life.
Question
Acknowledged the speech given by Debbie Abrahams and discussed concerns around pensioner poverty, highlighting issues such as backlogs, WASPI women’s compensation, housing costs affecting pensioners, and the need for redesigning the DWP system.
Question
Asked about helping veterans with military compensation not being classed as income when calculating means-tested benefits.
Minister reply
Steve Darling agreed to explore this issue.
Question
Discussed the importance of considering families and their needs in welfare policies, emphasised support for state pension increases, and talked about the benefits of the triple lock on pensions.
Question
Asked about long-term economic benefits from reforming welfare policies to lift children out of poverty, improve health outcomes, and enhance education.
Minister reply
Dan Tomlinson agreed that the Government is looking at ways to reform the welfare system to help more people get into employment.
Question
Would he consider a campaign to let people know that changes regarding inheritance tax and pensions are coming in the next year or so?
Minister reply
The Minister was not clear on the specific change mentioned but agreed on the importance of public confidence and planning for future pension arrangements, highlighting the triple lock as crucial.
Government Response
The Government maintains its commitment to the pension triple lock, but there is some confusion regarding the position of the Conservative party. The hon. Gentleman's concern about the tax on state pensions highlights a previous commitment by his own party that was not upheld post-election loss. No plans exist to remove this fiscal drag until 2028 as per the current government policy.