UK Statistics Authority blasts market-moving data leak January 22, 2016 Market-moving UK data was leaked to hundreds before its official release on Wednesday, a breach blasted by the country’s statistics watchdog. The UK Statistics Authority wrote that it was “deeply concerned about the impact that breaches (and apparent breaches) relating to the unauthorised, widespread sharing of statistics before their publication may have on the trustworthiness [...]
UK pensions: State pensions statements to go digital potentially as early as April, as service currently in public beta testing, says pensions minister Baroness Ros Altmann January 18, 2016 Pensions minister Baroness Ros Altmann has today said that statements for the state pension could potentially be digital from April onwards. Speaking in front of the Work and Pensions Select Committee regarding its inquiry into understanding the new state pension, Altmann revealed that the new digital system was currently in public beta testing and the Department for Work [...]
UK Pensions: MPs warn Department for Work and Pensions that people are confused by new state pension and communications need to be improved urgently January 11, 2016 MPs have called on the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to urgently change the information sent to people reaching retirement age after it was discovered that confusion was rife over the new state pension. An interim report published today by the Commons Work and Pensions Select Committee highlights some of the responses received from [...]
Universal Credit will simplify the system but will not stop delays in benefit delivery, says Work and Pensions Select Committee report December 21, 2015 Universal Credit will help to simplify the benefit system and will be less likely to be subject to mistakes, but it may not stop delays in benefit delivery. A report published today by the Work and Pensions Select Committee has highlighted that the introduction of Universal Credit, which is designed to roll six separate benefits [...]
Half of men over 50 will miss out on £572 a year when the new state pension system starts in April December 4, 2015 The new state pension system is not good news for everyone, with around half of men now in their 50s set to receive a lower retirement income under the new system, official analysis shows. Research from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) reveals those in their early 50s will lose as much as £11 a week [...]
Is Workie, the government’s psychedelic embodiment of the workplace pension, a hit with audiences – or is it P45 time? November 19, 2015 Eyebrows have been raised at his £8.5m price tag; Baroness Altmann, the pensions minister, has taken to her government blog to defend him and he's been described (somewhat uncharitably) as an "outrageously condescending supersized gonk". So the question is…is "Workie", the government's psychedelic embodiment of workplace pensions, working? It's clear something had to be done to get the message [...]
John Whittingdale confirms the BBC will pay for over-75s license fees from 2018 July 6, 2015 The culture, media, and sport secretary John Whittingdale has confirmed that the BBC will pay for free television licences for those aged over 75 from 2018. Whittingdale confirmed the move in response to an urgent question posed in parliament by his Labour shadow, Chris Bryant, following widespread reports over the weekend that the costs would be passed on to [...]
DWP makes fresh pension push with Theo Paphitis advertising campaign to get small business auto-enrolling workers July 6, 2015 The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) is relaunching its pensions advertising campaign starring Dragons’ Den entrepreneur Theo Paphitis in a new push to get small companies auto-enrolling staff in workplace pensions. The campaign will rework the previous creative used in 2012 when a £3.5m campaign first launched, as the government seeks to target businesses employing [...]
July Budget 2015: BBC must “make a contribution” to welfare cuts, says George Osborne on Andrew Marr Show July 5, 2015 The BBC “can make a contribution” to the costs of free television licences for the over-75s, George Osborne has said, responding to reports that the broadcaster would be required to stump up millions of pounds to keep the pensioner benefit going. The fee is currently paid by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) but under [...]
Government fails to meet civil service cut pledge: DWP employs more than 81,000 while DCMS has just 570 June 17, 2015 The coalition government failed to meet its pledge to cut the number of civil servants, new figures show. There were 406,140 civil servants employed across government departments in the first quarter of this year – a slight increase on the back end of 2014, and a 15 per cent reduction since 2010, according to [...]