§ Mr. WillettsTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioners receive(a) a partial basis state pension, (b) basic state pension increments, (c) a basic state pension increase for dependent child, d) a graduated retirement benefit and (e) SERPS. [158675]
§ Mr. RookerThe information is in the table.
Retirement pensioners resident in Great Britain and overseas at 30 September 2000 Thousand All pensioners In receipt of partial Basic State pension 2,941.6 In receipt of Basic State pension increments 1,156.4 In receipt of Basic State pension — Increase for dependent child(ren) 18.1 In receipt of Graduated Retirement Benefit 8.690.3 In receipt of SERPS 6,389.9 Notes:
1. Includes all retirement pensioners resident in Great Britain and overseas.
2. Numbers with a partial basic state pension exclude those pensioners who receive 100 per cent. basic State Pension based on their own national insurance record and also those pensioners who receive 60 per cent. (full rate) basic State Pension based on a spouse's national insurance record.
3. Figures are in thousands and rounded to the nearest hundred.
Source:
Based on a 5 per cent. sample from the Pension Strategy Computer System at 30 September 2000.
§ Mr. Ben ChapmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the way pension funds handle grievances. [159151]
§ Mr. RookerOccupational pension schemes are required to have a two-stage internal dispute resolution procedure, which they must make known to members. The second stage written decision by the trustees or managers of the scheme must include statements about the roles of the Office for Pensions Advisory Service (OPAS), to whom they can go for assistance, and the Pensions Ombudsman, to whom they can refer grievance if they remain dissatisfied.
§ Mr. Ben ChapmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what plans he has to require pension trusts to give reasons for refusal(a) to reward a disability pension and (b) of arbitration following such refusal; [159054]
(2) if he will make a statement on pension trusts' refusal to divulge the reason for rejecting ill-health pension applications; [159052]
319W(3) what plans he has to compel pension trusts to divulge the reason for refusal of ill-health pension applications. [159051]
§ Mr. RookerOccupational schemes are not required to pay pension benefits before the normal pension age for the scheme. Some scheme rules do provide for pension benefits to be paid earlier for reasons such as ill-health. This is usually at the discretion of the scheme trustees and there is no legal requirement for them to provide reasons where they reject an ill-health pension application, although many schemes regard it as good administrative practice to do so.
Where an ill-health pension application has been rejected, the member can ask for the matter to be reconsidered under the scheme's internal dispute resolution procedure, and can seek assistance from the Office for Pensions Advisory Service (OPAS). If he remains dissatisfied he can make a complaint to the Pensions Ombudsman.
§ Mr. Ben ChapmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to require contributors to occupational pension schemes to have the rights of appeal following an ombudsman's determination. [159049]
§ Mr. RookerDeterminations by the Pensions Ombudsman can be appealed against to the High Court on a point of law.
§ Mr. Ben ChapmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to ensure that members of pension trusts have a right to be consulted before(a) trusts are restructured and (b) members are transferred to other schemes. [159053]
§ Mr. RookerEmployers who provide occupational pension schemes do so voluntarily and, ultimately, they decide the nature of the scheme and its benefit structure. Trustees are required to provide extensive information to members about the scheme and their rights to pension benefits.
Generally, members must consent to a transfer of their accrued pension rights to another pension scheme. When employers are taken over, merge, or restructure their pension provision a consequent bulk transfer of members' accrued rights can be made without consent, provided that an actuary certifies that the rights to be acquired in the receiving scheme are broadly no less favourable than the rights to be transferred.
§ Mr. Ben ChapmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the rules governing occupational pensions schemes and the way they are vetted to protect contributors. [159050]
§ Mr. RookerThe framework of legislation governing occupational pension schemes is intended to provide protection for members without imposing undue burdens on employers who provide those schemes. Pension schemes also have their own rules which have to satisfy certain requirements for tax purposes. They may contain discretionary provisions which are exercised by the trustees.