Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Steve Webb and Neil Carmichael

Monday 13th January 2014 Commons Chamber

[Neil Carmichael]

With the popularity of the Post Office in mind, does the Minister agree that the value of the Post Office card account is immense, benefiting some 2.9 million people? Will he think about extending it?

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

I indeed agree with my hon. Friend that the Post Office card account has played an important part in supporting the post office network and enabling pensioners and benefit recipients to receive their money at a local post office. All of the options under consideration conclude that access to pensions and benefits via the post office will continue beyond March 2015.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Steve Webb and Neil Carmichael

Monday 13th June 2011 Commons Chamber

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

The hon. Lady is right that we did not reverse Labour’s planned cut in the winter fuel payment. What we did is reverse Labour’s planned cut to the cold weather payment, which pays £25 a week every time the temperature falls below zero—and we ended up paying more than £400 million to cold, vulnerable pensioners, which is money that the Labour party would not have spent.

[Neil Carmichael (Stroud) (Con)]

T3. In the context of the big society and mindful of the need for a variety of provision, what evidence is there that bidders for the Work programme have come from the voluntary sector and social enterprises?