Oral Answers to Questions

David Evennett Excerpts

Monday 28th March 2011 Commons Chamber

[Maria Miller]

Obviously, we support the very idea of kinship care. It is an important way in which children can remain in family care when their own parents are unable to look after them. I believe that in April we will bring in some support to help them with their pensions, too.

[Mr David Evennett (Bexleyheath and Crayford) (Con)]

12. What recent progress his Department has made in reducing pensioner poverty.

--- Later in debate ---

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

We have restored the earnings link for the state pension and given a triple guarantee that the pension will rise by the highest of earnings, prices or 2.5%. We will pay the winter fuel payment in 2011-12 exactly as budgeted for by the previous Government. We have made permanent the increase in the cold weather payment from £8.50 to £25 a week.

[Mr Evennett]

I welcome the approach the Government are taking on this very important matter. What estimate has the Minister made, however, of the impact of the single-tier pension proposals on future levels of pensioner poverty?

[Steve Webb]

We will shortly publish a Green Paper with a range of options for state pension reform. As my hon. Friend says, one of those is a single flat-rate pension. One of its great advantages is that whereas many pensioners do not claim their means-tested benefits and therefore live in poverty, everyone claims their pension.