Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

High Income Child Benefit Charge: Gender Pension Gap

Monday 4 September 2023 · 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 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Wendy Chamberlain questioned the impact of the high income child benefit charge on the gender pension gap.
  • The government announced plans to introduce a retrospective national insurance credit to help address the issue.
  • The government agreed to bring forward changes to ensure stay-at-home parents, usually mothers, receive necessary national insurance credits for their state pension.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Wendy Chamberlain Lib Dem North East Fife
Benefits & Welfare Women & Equalities
Context

The high income child benefit charge is under scrutiny for its potential impact on the gender pension gap, affecting stay-at-home parents who are usually women.

Question

What assessment has been made of the potential impact of the high income child benefit charge on the gender pension gap?

Answer from Laura Trott

In April, we announced plans to address this issue by introducing a retrospective national insurance credit, which will ensure that more people—especially women—have the opportunity to obtain a full state pension.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The assessment of the potential impact on the gender pension gap was not provided, only an announcement about addressing it.

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Q2 Wendy Chamberlain Lib Dem North East Fife
Benefits & Welfare
Context

The high income child benefit charge forces families to apply for a benefit they are not entitled to in order to receive national insurance credits, which is seen as problematic.

Question

The high income child benefit charge is potentially a scandal waiting to happen. Currently, families have to apply for a benefit they know they are not entitled to so that the stay-at-home parent—usually the mother—gets the national insurance credits that she needs for her state pension. It is good to hear that the Government are doing something, but they need to reform the process further. Will they agree to at least put some comms in? I certainly had not heard of the changes in April.

Answer from Laura Trott

I am glad that the hon. Lady agrees with those changes. I assure her that we will be bringing them forward as soon as we can.

Not addressed: The specific commitment to implement communication measures and further reforms was not provided, only a general assurance of future action.

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