Single-tier Pension (Contingencies Fund Advance)

Wednesday 9th April 2014 Written Statements

[The Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Steve Webb)]

The Department for Work and Pensions has obtained approval for a further advance from the Contingencies Fund of £549,000 for the continued development of IT for the single-tier pension before Royal Assent. This advance is necessitated by the lead-in time for delivery in April 2016 which requires IT work to be undertaken prior to Royal Assent of the Pensions Bill.

Parliamentary approval for additional resource of £549,000 for this new service has been sought in the main supply estimate 2014-15 for the Department for Work and Pensions. Pending that approval, urgent expenditure estimated at £549,000 will be met by repayable cash advances from the Contingencies Fund. The repayment is expected to be made in the financial year 2014-15.

This advance will allow the single-tier programme to continue to work to meet the timetable of April 2016 to implement the single-tier new service.