Oral Answers to Questions

Diana Johnson Excerpts

Monday 14th September 2020 Commons Chamber

[Justin Tomlinson]

I pay tribute to the Motor Neurone Disease Association, which has been at the heart of this review. The Secretary of State and I are committed to delivering an improved system that raises awareness of the support, improves consistency and tackles the issue raised around the six-month rule. We are determined that this will be done as quickly as possible.

[Dame Diana Johnson (Kingston upon Hull North) (Lab)]

What steps her Department is taking to (a) investigate and (b) rectify errors made in the payment of the state pension to retired women.

[Paula Barker (Liverpool, Wavertree) (Lab)]

What steps her Department is taking to (a) investigate and (b) rectify errors made in the payment of the state pension to retired women.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Guy Opperman) [V]]

We are aware of a number of cases in which individuals have been underpaid category BL basic state pension. We corrected our records and reimbursed those affected as soon as the underpayments were identified, and we continue to check and remedy further cases that are identified.

[Dame Diana Johnson]

With up to 130,000 women potentially affected, and with many of those women who have already contacted the DWP having been told, wrongly, that they are not entitled to any additional money, will the Minister say what more he is going to do, in the light of the miscommunication that affected thousands of women represented by the Women Against State Pension Inequality campaign, to ensure that the women affected are contacted and given the correct information?

[Guy Opperman]

As the hon. Lady knows, I cannot comment on the live litigation in respect of the WASPI women, although I can say that at the first hearing before the judicial review, notification and communication were found for on behalf of the Government—this Government, the coalition Government and the Labour Government whom she served. In respect of category BL pensions, we are improving the training and the ability of the individuals who are handling the cases.