Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Pensioners Living in Poverty

Monday 13 September 2021 · 3 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • There are now 200,000 fewer pensioners in poverty compared with 2010.
  • Rates of material deprivation among pensioners have fallen from 10% to 6% over the last decade.
  • The state pension has increased from under 100 to 179 in the last 10 years.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Jonathan Edwards PC
Benefits & Welfare
Context

The question arises from the concern about rising numbers of pensioners living below the poverty line despite government efforts.

Question

What steps her Department is taking to support pensioners living in poverty. There are now 200,000 fewer pensioners in poverty compared with 2010, but rates of material deprivation among pensioners remain at a concerning level, falling only from 10% to 6% over the last decade.

Answer from Guy Opperman

There are now 200,000 fewer pensioners in poverty compared with 2010. Rates of material deprivation among pensioners have fallen from 10% to 6% over the last decade. Pension credit provides financial support for the most vulnerable pensioners and a passport to many other benefits.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer does not provide specific actions or measures taken by the Department beyond mentioning past improvements in poverty rates and material deprivation levels, nor does it address how these reductions have been achieved.

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Q2 Jonathan Edwards PC
Benefits & Welfare
Context

The question stems from the recent report by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman regarding maladministration in informing 1950s-born women about changes to their state pension allowance, affecting many WASPI women.

Question

Diolch yn fawr iawn, Mr Speaker. Older women in particular find themselves in relative poverty because 30% completely rely on the state pension for their income. That makes the recent findings by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman about maladministration by the Department and its failure to inform 1950s-born women about changes to their state pension allowance particularly galling. What is the Department's response to the findings of the ombudsman and, more importantly, what will be done to rectify the situation that WASPI women in my constituency find themselves in?

Answer from Guy Opperman

The hon. Gentleman will be aware that we have never spent as much as we do now on pensions. The triple lock has seen a £2,050-a-year increase in cash terms. The Government decided the changes 26 years ago, and that policy was continued by successive Governments, including during the 13 years of the Labour Government. In respect of all matters on an ongoing basis, we consider the PHSO, but clearly, it is a three-stage process and we are only at stage 1.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer avoids directly addressing the findings by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman and does not provide specific actions or timeline for rectifying the situation faced by WASPI women.

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Q3 Matt Rodda Lab Reading Central
Benefits & Welfare
Context

The question arises from the concern about delays in paying the state pension as well as the government's failure to uphold three manifesto promises, affecting public trust.

Question

People across this country work hard and contribute all their lives; they are right to expect the state pension to be there for them when they retire. Given that the Government have failed to pay the state pension on time and have broken three manifesto promises so far, Ministers can surely accept that pensioners and the public cannot simply take them at their word. Ahead of our consideration of the Social Security (Up-rating of Benefits) Bill next Monday, will the Government publish their evidence for breaking the link with earnings in this way?

Answer from Guy Opperman

I am not sure that I am going to take any lessons from the hon. Gentleman. Before 2010, when the coalition came into power, the state pension was under £100. The new state pension is now £179. We have raised it by £2,000 in the last 10 years. We have enhanced the state pension massively through the triple lock. We did not even need to do anything last year, but we raised the state pension by 2.5%, and we will be increasing it by the double lock if the Bill passes next week.

Not addressed: The answer deflects from the question about publishing evidence for breaking the link between earnings and uprating, instead focusing on past improvements to the state pension without addressing the specific ask of providing evidence or explaining current policy changes.

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