Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

State Pension: Deferring Entitlement

Monday 6 June 2022 · 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 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Information regarding deferring state pension is published online and in invitation letters.
  • The Department for Work and Pensions wrote to a constituent encouraging pension deferral.
  • The DWP is investigating correspondence regarding a constituent's widow's entitlements.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Mhairi Black SNP
Benefits & Welfare
Context

The Department for Work and Pensions provides state pension claim invitations, but there is a lack of clarity around the financial advice given to individuals approaching state pension age.

Question

What information and financial advice her Department provides to people approaching state pension age on deferring their entitlement to the state pension. Information regarding deferral is published online and in invitation letters, but no specific financial advice is provided according to Guy Opperman's response.

Answer from Guy Opperman

Information regarding deferral is published on gov.uk and provided in the state pension claim invitation letter and through the “Check your State Pension” forecast service, or someone can speak to the Pension Service direct. Deferring a state pension is a personal choice, and whether deferring a claim to the new state pension is the right decision will depend on a range of factors that are relevant to the personal circumstances of the individual, but no specific financial advice is given.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer did not provide any specifics about what kind of information and financial advice are provided in detail or how it varies by circumstance.

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Q2 Mhairi Black SNP
Benefits & Welfare
Context

A constituent was encouraged to defer his state pension by the DWP, but after passing away, his wife Caroline received conflicting information from the DWP regarding her entitlements.

Question

The DWP wrote to my constituent encouraging him to defer his pension. Unfortunately, he passed away last year, but the DWP told his wife Caroline that she was entitled to a £30,000 lump sum and £100 a week. After weeks of being passed from pillar to post, the DWP is now saying that Caroline is entitled to nothing, but it will give her £50 for the emotional distress and incorrect information. All the correspondence that she has from the DWP contains conflicting information and no warning of the risks of deferring a pension. Will the Minister meet me to rectify the situation and ensure that it does not happen to anyone else?

Answer from Guy Opperman

If the hon. Lady sends me the correspondence, I will make sure that it is looked into within a matter of days.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer did not commit to meeting or rectifying the situation immediately and only offered to review the correspondence after receiving it.

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