Articles and Speeches

Windsor MP Challenges Pensions Minister
11-Jan-06, Press Release.

In Parliament on Monday, Adam Afriyie MP challenged the Minister for Pensions Reform, Stephen Timms, to simplify the pensions system for the sake of the elderly.

Mr Afriyie asked if the Minister would bring forward legislation to reform the pensions system to be debated in the current parliamentary session. Mr Timms revealed that reforms would not take place within the current session.

Mr Afriyie, a long term champion of the elderly, expressed his concern at the number of pensioners who fail to receive benefits to which they are entitled due to the complexities of the system. But Mr Timms refused to accept any responsibility whatsoever for this, claiming that they were making efforts to ensure that people received their benefits.

Mr Afriyie commented, “I receive many letters from many Windsor pensioners who have missed out on pension credits they were entitled to because they were not aware that they could claim it.

“The Government have created a monstrously complex tax and benefits system which causes stress to so many”

“When one million pensioners, having paid into the system all their working lives, do not receive money that they are entitled to, the Government is clearly failing in its duty to support some of the most vulnerable and decent people in our society.”

“I am disappointed that the Minister for Pensions Reform seems to think that the Government is doing enough to ensure benefits take-up when clearly this is not the case.”

Editors’ Notes
Text of debate from Hansard:
Adam Afriyie: If he will bring forward legislation to reform the pension system in the current Session of Parliament.

The Minister for Pensions Reform (Mr. Stephen Timms): We are planning for a White Paper in the spring in response to the report of the Pensions Commission. It will set out what legislation will be needed and a planned timetable for reforms. We are not planning to introduce pensions reform legislation before the summer recess.

Adam Afriyie: I continue to be concerned about more than 1 million pensioners who fail to receive pension credit or means-tested benefits, and I am sure that the Minister shares my concern. His Government, the Chancellor and his Department designed that complex tax and benefit system so, on their behalf, does he accept any responsibility whatsoever for the plight of the most needy and vulnerable in society because of the complexities of the pension system?

Mr. Timms: Let me start by agreeing with something that the hon. Gentleman said. I, too, think that it is important that people receive what they are entitled to, which is why we have been doing a great deal of work to increase the take-up of pension credit. A total of 2.7 million households now receive it, which is an increase of 900,000 over the minimum income guarantee and income support that preceded it. Between April and November, staff from the Pension Service carried out 600,000 home visits to help to make sure that people receive the benefits to which they are entitled. We are using direct mail, and are also doing a great deal of work to make sure that people receive what they are entitled to. I hope that the hon. Gentleman will support staff in the Pension Service in his constituency who are working to ensure that people receive what they are entitled to.