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1,152 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDSocial Security Advisory Committee: Winter Fuel PaymentMy Lords, I understand that the OBR listed certified costings if nobody claimed pension credit, and costings on the assumption, which was also our assumption, that there would be…14 Nov 2024HANSARDState Pension: Age IncreaseMy Lords, the Government recognise that information about the state pension age is crucial to retirement planning and are committed to communicating planned state pension age…14 Nov 2024HANSARDState Pension: Age IncreaseMy Lords, of all the weeks when I am not going to start making up national insurance policy on the hoof, this is most definitely one of them. However, I hear what my noble friend…14 Nov 2024HANSARDState Pension: Age IncreaseMy Lords, to separate those two out, the Treasury has published documentation on GOV.UK relating to the Budget and an impact assessment of different aspects of the Budget. On the…14 Nov 2024HANSARDSocial Security Advisory Committee: Winter Fuel PaymentI am grateful to the noble Lord, especially for the first half of that encouragement. The Government had to make some difficult choices. Deciding not to pay the winter fuel…14 Nov 2024HANSARDState Pension: Age IncreaseMy noble friend raises an important point. One of the requirements on the Secretary of State when she comes to do the statutory review of the state pension age is to look at…14 Nov 2024HANSARDState Pension: Age IncreaseMy Lords, it is crucial that everybody gets to know their state pension age, but the reality is that there are a lot of different ways in which people do that. I already knew that…14 Nov 2024HANSARDState Pension: Age IncreaseMy Lords, I answer to anything really. The Government have already used an array of methods to communicate state pension age changes, including leaflets, advertising campaigns,…14 Nov 2024HANSARDState Pension: Age IncreaseMy Lords, information will be coming forward. We are doing a pension review at the moment. Stage 1 is coming to an end and stage 2 is coming through. There is also a pensions Bill…14 Nov 2024HANSARDState Pension: Age IncreaseMy Lords, life expectancy is increasing, but the rate of increase is slowing. Built into the Pensions Act 2014 is a requirement on the Secretary of State periodically to review…14 Nov 2024HANSARDSocial Security Advisory Committee: Winter Fuel PaymentMy Lords, I think I have answered the point about housing benefit and explained why the Government took the decision we did. However, we are determined to do everything we can, so…14 Nov 2024HANSARDSocial Security Advisory Committee: Winter Fuel PaymentMy Lords, I thank the noble Baroness for her question. I am sure she is aware that the Secretary of State has replied to the Social Security Advisory Committee and has placed a…14 Nov 2024HANSARDSocial Security Advisory Committee: Winter Fuel PaymentMy Lords, the situation is different in different parts of the country. In Scotland, it is complicated by the fact that this is the first year it is devolved, so we have had to…14 Nov 2024HANSARDState Pension: Age IncreaseThere are variations. One of the challenges is that, now we want to keep young people in education, training or employment until 18, we find that fewer people leave school and…14 Nov 2024HANSARDState Pension: Age IncreaseMy noble friend is a great advocate for Age UK and its counterpart organisations, and they welcome his advocacy. We have a good relationship with Age UK and other charities in…14 Nov 2024HANSARDHealth-related Benefit ClaimsMy Lords, the noble Lord points out another of the contributory factors. A complex web of things brings people to this point. As far as we understand it, a number of contributory…05 Nov 2024HANSARDHealth-related Benefit ClaimsMy Lords, I ask the former Minister not to prejudge this—we have not even published the White Paper yet. He may not be convinced by it, but I hope to convince him yet. When it…05 Nov 2024HANSARDHealth-related Benefit ClaimsMy Lords, there is no doubt whatever that there are real problems with child and adolescent mental health services, but we will address them. In the meantime, we have plans in…05 Nov 2024HANSARDHealth-related Benefit ClaimsHonestly, I have no idea—but I have colleagues in the Department of Health who will. As a Government, we are developing significant extra support and making sure that there is an…05 Nov 2024HANSARDHealth-related Benefit ClaimsMy noble friend makes an excellent point. I am sure that many noble Lords will have heard cases of individuals who found that they were getting appropriate support sometimes when…05 Nov 2024