Oral Answers to Questions

Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh Excerpts

Monday 1st February 2016 Commons Chamber

[Martyn Day (Linlithgow and East Falkirk) (SNP)]

1. What support his Department has made available to women born in the 1950s who are affected by recent changes in the age at which they become eligible for the state pension.

[Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh (Ochil and South Perthshire) (SNP)]

2. What support his Department has made available to women born in the 1950s who are affected by recent changes in the age at which they become eligible for the state pension.

[Ian Blackford (Ross, Skye and Lochaber) (SNP)]

7. What support his Department has made available to women born in the 1950s who are affected by recent changes in the age at which they become eligible for the state pension.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Vara]

The equalisation measures of the Pensions Act 2011 were introduced, and the matter was expedited, to ensure that we covered for the fact that there had to be a sustainable pensions budget. It is also important to remember that people are living a lot longer. We have to take that into account, which is why we had to accelerate the issue.

[Ms Ahmed-Sheikh]

The Minister speaks often of equality, but his Department’s policies clearly have a disproportionate impact on so many women in this country. Not only are women born in the 1950s unequally affected by the pension plans, but many women will also lose out under the new single-tier pension rules. Should not the Government act now to allow people to opt to have a year treated as a qualifying year if, by including the income from two or more jobs, that person’s earnings are at least equal to the earnings factor for that year?

[Mr Vara]

I remind the hon. Lady of the record issues we have achieved for female employees. We now have record female employment, at a rate of 69.1%, and there are more than 1 million more women in work since 2010. The number of older women in work is at a record high, with more than 100,000 more than last year. The people to whom the hon. Lady refers are all benefiting from the measures I have mentioned.