Written question asked by Steve Webb (Liberal Democrat) on Wednesday, 8 December 2004, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 13 December 2004. It was answered by Malcolm Wicks (Labour) on Monday, 13 December 2004 on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.

Dept for Work and Pensions

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, by what means a pensioner who receives his basic state pension payments into a bank account can begin having payments made into a different nominated account; what the target time is by which his Department aims to switch such payments to his new account; how many pensioners have requested this action in each of the last 12 months; and what (a) number and (b) percentage of these have successfully had their payments switched within (i) one week, (ii) one month, (iii) two months and (iv) three months or more of the initial request.

Answer: Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions by what means a pensioner who receives his basic state pension payments into a bank account can begin having payments made into a different nominated account; what the target time is by which his Department aims to switch such payments to his new account; how many pensioners have requested this action in each of the last 12 months; and what (a) number and (b) percentage of these have successfully had their payments switched within (i) one week, (ii) one month, (iii) two months and (iv) three months or more of the initial request. [204581] Malcolm Wicks: Customers who receive State Pension by direct payment can change their nominated account by providing details of the new account to The Pension Service in writing, although some are able to do so by telephone. New procedures will shortly be introduced whereby all customers can change their account details by telephone, subject to satisfactory checks as to identity. There are no targets for the time taken to change a customer's account details; guidance to staff requires that action on such changes should commence immediately and we aim to effect changes as soon as possible. Data on the numbers of changes and the time taken to effect them are not held in the form requested.

Secondary information