State Retirement Pensions: Uprating
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of notifying pensioners of small upratings to the State Pension; and whether he has considered reducing the cost through alternative methods of communicating such changes.
Answered by Torsten Bell
We notify individuals of decisions about their benefit, which ensures that they know how much they are entitled to and when and how payment will be made. Letters also inform claimants about their legal responsibilities, such as having to report relevant changes and their legal rights, such as the right of appeal. Individuals' circumstances do change and not everybody receives the same rate of payment every year.
The Department keeps communications with customers under constant review and is modernising its services. This includes the ability to securely communicate with customers in a format and frequency that matches a customer’s preference but also meets the legislative and policy requirements of administering the Department’s services in a cost-effective efficient way.
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