Oral Answers to Questions

Alison Thewliss Excerpts
Monday 14th March 2016

(8 years, 9 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Iain Duncan Smith Portrait Mr Duncan Smith
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I am very happy to meet my hon. Friend and any others he wants to bring with him. This Government have a proud record on reforming pensions. The single tier will mean that pension incomes improve dramatically, particularly for those who have broken care. We also have auto-enrolment, which is massively increasing savings among those who have never saved before. Finally, the freedom to take an annuity or not, as and when a pension comes due, is enormous. I am very happy to make sure that reform programme continues, and I will happily meet my hon. Friend.

Alison Thewliss Portrait Alison Thewliss (Glasgow Central) (SNP)
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Can the Secretary of State tell me how many jobseeker’s allowance claimants have been sanctioned in the period between being offered work and taking up work?

Iain Duncan Smith Portrait Mr Duncan Smith
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I do not have the figures to hand, but I am very happy to write to the hon. Lady about that. I have to say, the number of people who have been sanctioned has fallen dramatically in the last 12 months, and I am sure she will be very happy to see the figures.