Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage active pensioners to work beyond retirement age.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Now that the default retirement age has been abolished, most people can work for as long as they want to and are able. Our concept of ageing in the workforce and retirement must move with the times as the population demographics change and we have an increasingly older workforce. We know that work helps people to play active and fulfilling roles in society while building financial security for retirement. The Department is committed to supporting older workers through a wide-ranging strategy that promotes inclusion, flexibility, and progression. This includes promoting age-inclusive practices, supporting workplace health, policy and service reform and removing age related barriers to employment. The Department has also signed up to and actively promotes the Age-Friendly Employer Pledge, encouraging employers to adopt flexible working, age-positive hiring, and career development.
Most people do not pay National Insurance contributions once they reach State Pension age, even if they continue working and individuals can continue to receive their State Pension in full, regardless of how much they earn from employment or self-employment. This can make employment more financially attractive for older workers.
By removing financial disincentives and promoting flexible working opportunities, the Government aims to ensure that those who wish to work longer can do so in a way that suits their circumstances.
Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they take, if any, to encourage those beyond the state pension age to continue in paid employment if they wish to do so.
Answered by Baroness Stedman-Scott - Opposition Whip (Lords)
As people live longer healthier lives, many recognise the positive financial, health and social benefits of work, and are choosing to work beyond State Pension age. There are currently 1.3 million workers over State Pension age in employment. The Government is committed to enabling them to remain in, and progress in, work if they choose.
The extension of the right to request flexible working to all employees with 26 weeks’ continuous service with their employer offers the opportunity for individuals of all ages to change or reduce their hours to accommodate other responsibilities, where the alternative would be to give up work altogether. This may be of particular interest to adults over State Pension age who would like to amend their working pattern.
We have appointed a Business Champion for Older Workers to engage and influence employers on the benefits of a mixed-age workforce both strategically and in terms of practical advice.
Government also recognises the importance of supporting adults to plan effectively for the future, including how to stay in work for longer. The mid-life MOT launched a webpage in 2019 which offers support to those considering whether they need to make a change in their work, health or finances in order to get the most out of work and retirement.
Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the annual treatment of the River Stour in Dorset to prevent infestations of the Blandford Fly is effective; and what is their assessment of the risks of that treatment, if any, to (1) human, (2) animal, and (3) plant life.
Answered by Baroness Buscombe
Local monitoring by General Practitioners of the incidence of bites in the 1990s showed a decline. Whether this was due to the annual treatments cannot be proved conclusively.
Dorset Council is undertaking a trial into the effectiveness of a biocidal product against the Blandford Fly. The Health and Safety Executive’s assessment of the product in question, conducted as part of providing an authorisation for its use, concluded that the risks for humans, non-target animals and the wider environment were acceptable.
Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have a policy about the number of children a family or individual should have; and if so, what it is.
Answered by Baroness Altmann
The Government does not have a policy on the number of children a family or individual should have.
Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Freud on 24 June (HL540), whether they plan to make such assessments in future; and if not, why not.
Answered by Lord Freud
Although data regarding claimant nationality is not currently recorded on benefit payment systems, Universal Credit will record such data, when EEA nationals are able to claim. The Department has no plans to make specific assessments regarding Polish nationals when such data becomes available. However, we will continue to monitor EEA nationals’ access to benefits more generally.
The Prime Minister has made clear that further steps are needed to reform welfare to reduce the incentives which have led to mass immigration from the EU.
Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether Polish citizens of working age settled in the United Kingdom are more or less likely to claim benefits than the national average.
Answered by Lord Freud
Specific assessments of the number of Polish benefit claimants as a proportion of the working age population are not available.
Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bates on 20 November (HL2693), whether the Department for Work and Pensions has made an assessment of the contribution of Polish immigrants to the United Kingdom.
Answered by Lord Freud
DWP has made no such assessment, nor would it be within the remit of the Department to do so.