Asked by: James Daly (Conservative - Bury North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing additional information on (a) his Department's website and (b) the State Pension Claims Form on taking up to 12 months of a State Pension deferral as a single arrears payment.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
There is no lump-sum payment for deferral in the new State Pension scheme. This change came in from 2016. Under the new State Pension scheme, the single arrears payment (of up to a maximum of 12 months) is a backdated payment for money which would have been received during that period and does not accrue interest. The arrears payment is separate from the deferral process.
The customer is provided with guidance on backdating and deferral alongside their State Pension claim form.
The Department reviews the information available on its website and the State Pension claim form on an ongoing basis as part of continuous improvements to customer communications and products. Additional information on the State Pension arrears payment is currently being reviewed for inclusion on the Department's website by the end of July 2024. Additional updates to the information on backdating are also being considered for the State Pension claim form (digital and paper).