Contributions
1,127 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDPension CreditWhether a person is eligible for pension credit and how much they can get is, as with other means-tested benefits, determined by their financial and personal circumstances, which…08 Mar 2021HANSARDCovid-19: Universal CreditI not sure where the noble Lord gets his figures from; I do not dispute them, but I will have to go back and have a good look. The universal credit business case was agreed in…02 Mar 2021HANSARDCovid-19: Universal CreditI say to my noble friend and the whole House that we should thank God that we have work coaches. Their training has been enhanced, they are focused on the individual and they make…02 Mar 2021HANSARDCovid-19: Universal CreditMy Lords, where do I start? I am so proud of the work that my department has done in supporting people during the pandemic. Time does not allow me to reel off everything that we…02 Mar 2021HANSARDCovid-19: Universal CreditThe £20 uplift in universal credit has done an outstanding job. The Chancellor put it in place in a temporary way, and I guess tomorrow we will find out the intentions for the…02 Mar 2021HANSARDCovid-19: Universal CreditLegacy benefits and the £20 uplift have been the subject of lengthy and great discussions in the department. To be absolutely straight and truthful, the only thing I can say is…02 Mar 2021HANSARDCovid-19: Universal CreditThe right reverend Prelate makes an important point. The £20 uplift has made a significant difference and, like the noble Baroness, Lady Sherlock, he has outlined some of the…02 Mar 2021HANSARDCovid-19: Universal CreditI thank my noble friend for her acknowledgement of the difference that the £20 has made. I had better say now: “Message received, over and out”. I will relay it and replay it to…02 Mar 2021HANSARDCovid-19: Universal CreditA number of groups of individuals have been impacted by Covid and their incomes have been put under stress. The department continually reviews the impact on people but this is a…02 Mar 2021HANSARDCovid-19: Universal CreditI give an assurance to the noble Baroness that I will speak to her in more depth about the points she raises. Once I have done that, I will of course go back to the department and…02 Mar 2021HANSARDCovid-19: Universal CreditThe noble Lord is right to raise the point about people who try to abuse the system with no right to do so. The situation with fraud and recovering sums is being dealt with in the…02 Mar 2021HANSARDCommonwealth Countries: Reciprocal Pension AgreementsI regret that I do not have figures for how many Windrush victims have been impacted. The UK state pension is payable worldwide and members of the Windrush generation who have…01 Mar 2021HANSARDCommonwealth Countries: Reciprocal Pension AgreementsI am sorry, I do not agree that I have given contradictory answers. I say again that the Government have no plans to change their policy on this. When people retire to different…01 Mar 2021HANSARDCommonwealth Countries: Reciprocal Pension AgreementsThe Government are currently negotiating social security agreements with the EEA and the EFTA countries—Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland—which aim to broadly mirror…01 Mar 2021HANSARDCommonwealth Countries: Reciprocal Pension AgreementsThe UK has different social security arrangements with different Commonwealth countries. While some bilateral agreements provide for uprating, others do not. I am very happy to…01 Mar 2021HANSARDCommonwealth Countries: Reciprocal Pension AgreementsThe noble Lord is as impatient as ever, and so are we, to resolve this issue. The Government received a request from Canada in November 2020 to conclude a reciprocal agreement to…01 Mar 2021HANSARDCommonwealth Countries: Reciprocal Pension AgreementsThe decision to move abroad is voluntary and a personal choice dependent on the circumstances of the individual. For many years now, advice has been provided on the GOV.UK website…01 Mar 2021HANSARDCommonwealth Countries: Reciprocal Pension AgreementsThe state pension has been uprated in the EU as part of long-standing provisions in EU law before the UK left the EU. The withdrawal agreement ensures that state pensioners who…01 Mar 2021HANSARDCommonwealth Countries: Reciprocal Pension AgreementsThe UK Government have continued to honour their legal obligations in relation to uprating pensions overseas. While I realise this will be disappointing, we have no plans to…01 Mar 2021HANSARDCommonwealth Countries: Reciprocal Pension AgreementsAs I have already said, the Government intend to respond to the Canadian Government shortly. We are committed to ensuring that older people can live with the dignity and respect…01 Mar 2021