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Adjournment debate on Thursday, 10 December 2009, in the House of Commons, led by Terry Rooney. The answering member was Helen Goodman.

Pensioner Poverty

Westminster Hall debate on a motion for the adjournment on pensioner poverty. (Relevant documents: Work and Pensions Select Committee fifth report of session 2008-09 - HC 411 and the Government response HC 1029.) Motion made, and Question proposed, That the sitting be now adjourned.—(Mark Tami.)

Secondary information

Type
Parliamentary proceeding
Reference
502 c143-76WH 
Session
2009-10
Department
Department for Work and Pensions
Chamber / Committee
Westminster Hall
Related items
Proceeding contributions
Terry Rooney | 502 c143-5WH (Link to this contribution) Although this is the first time that I have served under your chairmanship, Mr. Williams, it does no...
Helen Goodman | 502 c174-6WH (Link to this contribution) It will happen as soon as is practical. It is obviously a complex matter. I am sure that the hon. Ge...
Show all contributions (57)
Paul Rowen | 502 c165WH (Link to this contribution) I accept that, but the point is that there should be targets. Does the hon. Gentleman accept that, a...
Nigel Waterson | 502 c165-8WH (Link to this contribution) I certainly think we should have some clear policies on how we will reduce poverty. I totally agree ...
Kelvin Hopkins | 502 c168WH (Link to this contribution) The hon. Gentleman rightly says that occupational schemes are declining. Is it completely unrealisti...
Nigel Waterson | 502 c168WH (Link to this contribution) As the hon. Gentleman might imagine, we are a bit dubious about any state-based solution. However, w...
Helen Goodman | 502 c168WH (Link to this contribution) Would the hon. Gentleman repeal the legislation introduced by the Government in 2007-08, which enact...
Kelvin Hopkins | 502 c163WH (Link to this contribution) As a younger person I taught in further education. I was under 30, but I taught on a course called "...
Paul Rowen | 502 c163-4WH (Link to this contribution) I agree. In my constituency a head teacher who is 74 years of age is still working because the gover...
Nigel Waterson | 502 c164-5WH (Link to this contribution) It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr. Williams. It is always a pleasure to follow t...
Kelvin Hopkins | 502 c170WH (Link to this contribution) Although I welcome that, as I am sure we all do, the reality is that the slippage since 1980 has bee...
Paul Rowen | 502 c170WH (Link to this contribution) I am interested in the Minister's comments about beginning in 2012 and ending within the Parliament....
Helen Goodman | 502 c170WH (Link to this contribution) We have said that we will do it at some point from 2012 but in any case by the end of the next Parli...
Helen Goodman | 502 c170-1WH (Link to this contribution) I intended to finish by saying something about the general record of the Government, but as has been...
Nigel Waterson | 502 c168WH (Link to this contribution) I was saying that I did not want the state-based solution proposed by the hon. Member for Luton, Nor...
Nigel Waterson | 502 c168-9WH (Link to this contribution) I was coming to that issue, but I shall deal with it now. We think that anyone who tinkers with the ...
Helen Goodman | 502 c169-70WH (Link to this contribution) It is a pleasure to speak under your chairmanship, Mr. Williams. I apologise on behalf of my hon. Fr...
Paul Rowen | 502 c168WH (Link to this contribution) The hon. Gentleman says that he is wedded to the Turner consensus. Does that also mean the retiremen...
Kelvin Hopkins | 502 c173WH (Link to this contribution) There is a constant emphasis on voluntarism. Many countries in Europe have compulsory contributions ...
Helen Goodman | 502 c172-3WH (Link to this contribution) I am sure that that is very welcome. The hon. Gentleman has not made it clear whether it will be fin...
Nigel Waterson | 502 c172WH (Link to this contribution) I am grateful for the opportunity to confirm that we are great supporters of concessionary bus fares...
Helen Goodman | 502 c171-2WH (Link to this contribution) It is misleading to focus on the state pension alone. I think that my hon. Friend was referring to t...
Kelvin Hopkins | 502 c171WH (Link to this contribution) I have some figures from 2007; I agree that they have changed slightly since then. The figures, from...
Nigel Waterson | 502 c174WH (Link to this contribution) The Minister told us that the power had been taken in legislation to change council tax benefit to c...
Helen Goodman | 502 c174WH (Link to this contribution) I am sorry, but I do not know. I shall write to the hon. Gentleman. The majority of housing benefit...
Paul Rowen | 502 c174WH (Link to this contribution) Will the Minister confirm whether there are still 0845 numbers, or are calls now totally free?
Helen Goodman | 502 c173-4WH (Link to this contribution) I think that my hon. Friend is calling for the Pensions Act 2008, which we have already implemented ...
Joan Humble | 502 c150WH (Link to this contribution) I refer my hon. Friend to the various Work and Pensions Committee inquiries on housing benefit. The ...
Kelvin Hopkins | 502 c150WH (Link to this contribution) I agree entirely that the process should be simplified. I think that Britain is the only country in ...
Kelvin Hopkins | 502 c150-1WH (Link to this contribution) I am grateful to my hon. Friend for giving way again—she is most generous. She talks about ensuring ...
Joan Humble | 502 c151-2WH (Link to this contribution) The Committee's reports on simplification, on carers and on tackling pensioner poverty have consider...
Kelvin Hopkins | 502 c154WH (Link to this contribution) I thank my hon. Friend for that correction. I may have to look at the statistics more carefully, but...
John Baron | 502 c154WH (Link to this contribution) I accept what the hon. Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) says, but the figures...
Kelvin Hopkins | 502 c154-6WH (Link to this contribution) As the hon. Gentleman says, we could debate the figures and argue about them, and no doubt the Natio...
Anne Begg | 502 c156-8WH (Link to this contribution) I apologise for being late to the debate, Mr. Williams. I am happy to be here to add to what has bee...
John Baron | 502 c153-4WH (Link to this contribution) I accept that the state pension is important, as the hon. Gentleman says, but could the increase ove...
Kelvin Hopkins | 502 c154WH (Link to this contribution) Indeed. I should have said that the Government have taken some steps to improve pensioners' lot over...
Joan Humble | 502 c154WH (Link to this contribution) I refer my hon. Friend and the hon. Member for Billericay (Mr. Baron) to page 11 of the report, whic...
Kelvin Hopkins | 502 c152-3WH (Link to this contribution) It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr. Williams. I am glad that we have time to deba...
David Drew | 502 c158-9WH (Link to this contribution) I am delighted to take part in this debate on the excellent treatise from the Work and Pensions Comm...
David Drew | 502 c145WH (Link to this contribution) Will my hon. Friend add to his point the need for independent advice? One of the real difficulties w...
Terry Rooney | 502 c145-6WH (Link to this contribution) I take my hon. Friend's point. That is not a road that I particularly want to travel, but there have...
John Howell | 502 c146-7WH (Link to this contribution) I want to start by saying what a pleasure it was to serve on the Select Committee during this inquir...
Joan Humble | 502 c148-9WH (Link to this contribution) The hon. Gentleman raises a key point. My contribution to this debate will concentrate on two areas....
Lord Dodds of Duncairn | 502 c148WH (Link to this contribution) I congratulate the Committee on its excellent and comprehensive report. The hon. Lady mentioned a ra...
Joan Humble | 502 c147-8WH (Link to this contribution) It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr. Williams, and to follow my colleague on the C...
Joan Humble | 502 c149-50WH (Link to this contribution) The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right. I will come to the issue of council tax and housing benefit ...
Nigel Waterson | 502 c149WH (Link to this contribution) The hon. Lady is absolutely right, not least about people retiring to seaside towns. However, I urge...
Kelvin Hopkins | 502 c162WH (Link to this contribution) Another major factor is that 20 per cent. of our fellow citizens are functionally illiterate, will u...
Paul Rowen | 502 c161-2WH (Link to this contribution) We are all from the north. As the hon. Member for Luton, North (Kelvin Hopkins) said, 2.1 million pe...
David Drew | 502 c159-61WH (Link to this contribution) My hon. Friend makes the point only too clearly. I would argue that we have to get much smarter in e...
Paul Rowen | 502 c161WH (Link to this contribution) It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr. Williams. I congratulate the Chairman of the ...
Kelvin Hopkins | 502 c159WH (Link to this contribution) Recent reports suggest that because of fuel price increases, several thousand more pensioners died l...
Terry Rooney | 502 c163WH (Link to this contribution) This should be an academic debate, because in reality the change to restoring the earnings link is b...
Paul Rowen | 502 c162-3WH (Link to this contribution) I agree. That is a clear issue, particularly for many older people. The issues that I have mentione...
Paul Rowen | 502 c163WH (Link to this contribution) I agree. Again, I pay tribute to the Government for reducing the number of years' national insurance...
Subjects
Poverty Economic situation Pensioners Low incomes Pensions Older people Social security benefits Social security State retirement pensions
Link
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