Asked by: Lisa Nandy (Labour - Wigan)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 13 June 2022 to Question 14559 on Women Against State Pension Inequality, for what reason a Minister has not met with representatives of Women Against State Pension Inequality since 29 June 2016; and if he will meet with that group.
Answered by Laura Trott - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
I refer the Hon Member to the answer given by Hon Guy Opperman MP on 19 July 2022 to question number 36754.
Asked by: Thangam Debbonaire (Labour - Bristol West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will meet with representatives of Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) campaign to discuss the findings of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman report on Women's State Pension Age.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s investigation into communication of changes to women’s state pension is ongoing. Section 7(2) of the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967 states that Ombudsman investigations “shall be conducted in private”. It would be inappropriate to comment on these issues whilst the investigation is ongoing.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has had recent discussions with Cabinet colleagues on support for people represented by the Women Against State Pension Inequality campaign.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
State Pensions age issues have been debated extensively in the House over many years. There have been no recent Cabinet conversations relating to support for people represented by the Women Against State Pension Inequality campaign.
Asked by: Lisa Nandy (Labour - Wigan)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 13 June 2022 to Question 14559 on Women Against State Pension Inequality, for what reason a departmental Minister has not met with representatives of the Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) since 29 June 2016; and why her Department has no plans to accept outstanding requests for meetings from WASPI representatives.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
State Pension age issues have been debated extensively in the House over many years, and subsequently litigated in the highest courts in the land.
The PHSO Ombudsman’s investigation into communication of changes to women’s state pension is ongoing; section 7(2) of the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967 states that Ombudsman investigations “shall be conducted in private”.
It would be inappropriate to discuss these issues whilst the PHSO Ombudsman’s investigation is ongoing. This is the approach of successive governments to such matters.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when any Minister in her Department last held a meeting with representatives of the Women Against State Pension Inequality campaign; and when they next intend to do so.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
A Departmental Minister met with representatives of the Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) on 29 June 2016. There are currently no plans to the meet with representatives of the group.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when any Minister in his Department last held a meeting with representatives of the Women Against State Pension Inequality campaign; and when they next intend to do so.
Answered by Simon Clarke
HM Treasury does not hold records of any recent meetings ministers have held with representatives of the Women Against State Pension Inequality campaign. There are currently no confirmed dates for such a meeting.
Asked by: Apsana Begum (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the call by Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) women for fair and adequate compensation; and what steps she plans to take in response to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman report on the communication of changes to state pension age.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
It would not be appropriate to comment on the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s report whilst the investigation is ongoing; and section 7(2) of the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967 states that Ombudsman investigations “shall be conducted in private”.
This a multi staged process and the report published on 20 July 2021 concluded stage-one of the investigation.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans she has to have discussions with (a) campaigning groups and (b) the APPG on State Pension Inequality for Women on the recent findings of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman's report entitled Women's State Pension Age: our findings on the Department for Work and Pensions' communication of changes.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) has not completed his investigation. This a multi staged process and the report published on 20 July 2021 concluded stage-one of the three-stage investigation.
It would not be appropriate to comment on the PHSO’s report whilst the investigation is ongoing; and section 7(2) of the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967 states that Ombudsman investigations “shall be conducted in private”.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when she last met representatives of the Women Against State Pension Inequality group.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Secretary of State has not met with representatives of the Women Against State Pension Inequality group.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what further steps she will take to address the concerns of the WASPI women.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Changes to State Pension age were made over a series of Acts by successive governments from 1995 onwards, following public consultations and extensive debates in both Houses of Parliament. The decision to equalise the State Pension age dates back to 1995, and addresses a longstanding inequality between men and women.
The Government’s position on the changes to State Pension age remains clear and consistent under successive governments. Any amendment to the current legislation which creates a new inequality between men and women would unquestionably be highly dubious as a matter of law.
Parliament set out successive Pensions Acts transitional arrangements when it introduced the changes to State Pension age. There are no plans for further transitional provisions.
State pension has risen by 2,050 in real terms since 2010 and with pensioner benefits of £129 billion, the state pension and supporting benefits have never been higher.