Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Steve Webb and Catherine McKinnell

Monday 11th March 2013 Commons Chamber

[Steve Webb]

I take your correction on the question numbers, Mr Speaker.

I think that the hon. Gentleman should apologise to the 700 women in his constituency, as he seems to be asking us to treat them the same as a man born on the same day—that appears to be the essence of his problem. If we did that, those women would have to wait up to three years longer for their pension, and they would not thank him for that.

[Catherine McKinnell]

Some 1,700 women in Newcastle will miss out on the single-tier pension, yet men born in the same period will qualify. Claiming that those women are better off because they are allowed to retire earlier is simply not good enough. If they are retired for 20 years, they could lose up to £38,000, which is well over twice what they would receive through benefiting from retiring earlier. What message does this send out to the hard-working women of Newcastle, many of whom celebrated not only mother’s day yesterday, but international women’s day on Friday?

[Steve Webb]

The message it sends out is that their MP did not listen a moment ago. We have published research today that shows that 85% of these women will do better over their entire retirement—both the first few years and their entire retirement.

[Catherine McKinnell]

indicated dissent.

[Steve Webb]

Unless the hon. Lady has read the research, I do not know why she should be shaking her head. It says that 85% will do better by being treated as women than they would by being treated the same as men.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Steve Webb and Catherine McKinnell

Monday 28th January 2013 Commons Chamber

[Catherine McKinnell]

It would appear that about 430,000 women born between 6 April 1952 and 6 July 1953 will not qualify for the new pension, while men of the same age will. What does the Minister have to say to the 1,700 women in Newcastle potentially affected by this unfair situation?

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

Those women will, of course, receive a state pension up to two years before a man born on the same day and have the option of being treated in the same way as a man—for example, they could defer their pension for two years and get an extra 20% for deferral. That is an option. We cannot bring the measure forward, however, because the occupational pension sector needs time. The only way we could treat men and women identically would be to delay until 2019, but if we did that many more women would be excluded.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Steve Webb and Catherine McKinnell

Monday 24th October 2011 Commons Chamber

[Steve Webb]

My hon. Friend is right that there will still be people who face a significant increase in their state pension age. Working-age benefits will be available, including jobseeker’s allowance and employment and support allowance. Some such women will also have access to occupational pensions and other forms of income and we will support those who seek to carry on working up to their new state pension age.

[Catherine McKinnell (Newcastle upon Tyne North) (Lab)]

T9. On Saturday, I joined more than 1,000 people in Newcastle for one of the many Hardest Hit campaign rallies across the country, in which people expressed anxiety about cuts to local care and support services, jobs and essential benefits for some of the most vulnerable in society. Given that disabled people are already twice as likely to live in poverty, what does the Minister have to say in response to their concerns?