Benefit Rate Freeze

Baroness Watkins of Tavistock Excerpts

Monday 30th October 2017 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Buscombe]

I certainly remember that well. It is completely right that we do all we can to support pensioners.

[Baroness Watkins of Tavistock (CB)]

My Lords, can the Minister comment on the intergenerational difference? Many pensioners pay 40p in the pound in tax and get significant rises because of the triple lock, whereas some of the poorest families who have been referred to recently are having their income reduced in relation to inflation?

[Baroness Buscombe]

My Lords, it is true that the state pension and benefits for pensioners are exempt from the benefit freeze, but this is because they are generally for people who have permanently left the labour market, meaning they have less ability to increase their income. We are committed to the triple lock for the remainder of this Parliament, but pensioner poverty continues to stand at one of the lowest rates since comparable records began—and we want to keep it that way.

Poverty Programmes: Audit

Baroness Watkins of Tavistock Excerpts

Wednesday 4th May 2016 Lords Chamber

[Lord Freud]

We have a strong safety net for pensioners in failed companies, as the noble Baroness will be aware. It is important that we have a strong pension regulator behind that. I also observe that this story has shown the importance of having effective pension trustees when there is a change of ownership.

[Baroness Watkins of Tavistock (CB)]

My Lords, what effect does the Minister think the extra health visitors who have been trained under the Prime Minister’s initiative, and the proportion who will actually be employed, will have on poverty in the future?

[Lord Freud]

The key thing in tackling poverty is life chances—in the end, transforming people’s lives—not income transfers. To the extent that the extra support helps children in their early years and in their education, it will be of great value.