Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

State Pension Age: Life Expectancy

Monday 9 March 2020 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Government are committed by legislation to review the state pension age every six years.
  • The next independent review, scheduled for 2023, will consider the latest life expectancy projections.
  • The Marmot review states that increases in life expectancy have slowed since 2010, but life expectancy at birth has been increasing since the beginning of the 20th century.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Joanna Cherry SNP Edinburgh South
Benefits & Welfare
Context

The SNP member questions the implications of government policies on state pension age in light of trends in life expectancy.

Question

What assessment has been made regarding the impact of the government's policies on the state pension age due to trends in life expectancy?

Answer from The Minister for Pensions Guy Opperman

The Government are committed by legislation to review the state pension age every six years. The last independent review was conducted by John Cridland in 2017; the next one is scheduled for 2023 and will consider latest life expectancy projections. Recent Office for National Statistics projections show continued increase in cohort life expectancy, with WHO data indicating better life expectancies for UK residents compared to European or global averages.

Answered
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Q2 Joanna Cherry SNP Edinburgh South
Benefits & Welfare Women & Equalities
Context

The SNP member references a recent Marmot review that highlights how certain Conservative policies have stalled improvements in life expectancy and increased years spent in ill health for the less affluent.

Question

Given the findings of the new Marmot review indicating that a decade of Tory policies, such as benefit cuts and unfair treatment towards WASPI women, has halted progress in life expectancy and exacerbated years lived in poor health among the poorest communities, which specific policy would the Minister reverse to mitigate this adverse impact?

Answer from The Minister for Pensions Guy Opperman

I am afraid that the hon. and learned Lady is wrong; the Marmot review on page 13 states, 'Increases in life expectancy have slowed since 2010,' but it also notes on page 15 that 'Life expectancy at birth has been increasing since the beginning of the 20th century.'

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