Equalisation of State Pension Age 1950's Women 02/12/2018

The request was refused by Department for Work and Pensions.

Dear Department for Work and Pensions,

From the Department for Work and Pensions
Communication Capability Review Date: February 2013

Item2.8 the DWP had said:

There have also been significant changes in DWP’s Strategic communications directorate.

Since March 2010, DWP has reduced it communications staff headcount by 46%, and consolidated the Department's communications expertise within a smaller, more efficient Directorate.

The previous leader held the post of Director General of
Marketing, Communication and Customer strategy.

When she left in January 2011 an interim was put in place until the current Director joined in November 2011.

From a Freedom of Information Request Ref: VTR3732

DATE:18 September 2015

Dear D Smulders,

Thank you for your Freedom of Information request of 03/09/2015. You asked:

In a recent Freedom of Information Request you state that "Between April 2009 and March 2011, the Department mailed all women born between 6th April 1950 and 5th April 1953, informing them of their State Pension age under the 1995 Pensions Act."

My question is why were these letters only sent to this group of women and not those women born after 5 April 1953?

The mailing campaign based on Pensions Act 1995 was stopped in March 2011 to allow for the outcome of Pensions Act 2011.

Pensions Act 2011 changed the timetable for equalisation; mailing based on Pensions Act 1995 was therefore halted in March 2011.

If you have any queries about this letter please contact me quoting the reference number above.
Yours sincerely,
DWP Strategy FoI Team

The DWP had said the mailing campaign based on Pensions Act 1995 was stopped in March 2011, and mailing based on Pensions Act 1995 was therefore halted in March 2011.

The DWP had said for individuals with a date of birth 6 Apr 1955 to 5 Apr 1960 letters were issued between Oct 2012 and Nov 2013 to Men and Women who are affected by the 2011 Pension Act, this is showed in the table shown in FOI response 3166 of 2017.

That’s a 1Year and 7 Months Period delay from when the DWP halted the mailing in March 2011 to when the DWP started writing to Women who date of birth was from the 6 Apr 1955 to 5 Apr 1960 with regards to the 2011 Pension Act.

When this delay was purposely halted by the DWP it stopped informing 4,475,000 People who were born from the 6 Apr 1955 to 5 Apr 1960 of the 1995 Pension Act which effected and did increase the SPA date on this group of Women by a 5 Year increase.

During the Delay Period of 1 Year and 7 Months which was the result of the DWP halting sending letters out in March 2011 and up to Oct 2012 what Communications did the DWP undertake to inform Women who date of birth was from the 6 Apr 1955 to 5 Apr 1960 of the effect of the 1995 Pension Act which would increase SPA by 5 years.

My Freedom of Information Request are:

What letters were sent to inform Women who date of birth was from the 6 Apr 1955 to 5 Apr 1960 on the changes of the 1995 Pension Act which indisputable had an effect upon them?

What direct communication during the above Delay Period of 1 Year and 7 Months (from March 2011 and up to Oct 2012) did the DWP undertake to inform Women who birth was from the 6 Apr 1955 to 5 Apr 1960 of any Pension changes to their State Pension Age.
On the DWP website it state:

Pensions Bill 2011 received Royal Assent on 3 November 2011 and became law under the Pensions Act 2011

The DWP had said for individuals with a date of birth 6 Apr 1955 to 5 Apr 1960 letters were issued between Oct 2012 and Nov 2013 to Men and Women who are affected by the 2011 Pension Act, this is showed in the table shown in FOI response 3166 of 2017.

My Freedom of Information Request are:

The Pensions Bill 2011 received Royal Assent on 3 November 2011, and the DWP said it sent letters, The DWP had said for individuals with a date of birth 6 Apr 1955 to 5 Apr 1960 letters were issued between Oct 2012 and Nov 2013 with regards to the 2011 Pension Act.

Why was their a delay of 11 Months from the The Pensions Bill 2011 received that received the Royal Assent on 3 November 2011, to when the DWP had said they had started communicating to Women between birth 6 Apr 1955 to 5 Apr 1960.

What Direct Communication did the DWP undertake during the delay of the 11 Months from Royal Assent 3 November 2011 to Oct 2012 to inform Women between births 6 Apr 1955 to 5 Apr 1960?

In the DWP document called Pension and later life: communication tracking research Date March 2011 Research report 5 December 2011
On Page 6 under 1.1 Communication strategy.

The DWP had said the role of communications in contributing towards these aims is to:
Meet “duty of care” requirements to inform individuals about State Pension reform and other changes which materially affect them;

My Freedom of Information Request are:

Please could you send me the documentation that the DWP has on record on the DWP duty of care” requirements to inform individuals about State Pension reform and other changes which materially affect them;
Please could you confirm when this duty of care” requirements to inform individuals about State Pension reform and other changes which materially affect them; came into effect and where it is written into the DWP procedures and who in the DWP has to follow this requirement.

State Retirement Pensions: Females:Written question – 190376
Answered on: 20 November 2018

Mr Guy Opperman Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions) in a written answer to Parliament published 20 November 2018 the minister for Pensions said there were more than 600 mentions of state pension age equalisation in the national broadsheet and tabloid press between 1993 and 2006.

My Freedom of Information Request are:

Please could you send me the evidence of the 600 mentions of state pension age equalisation in the national broadsheet and tabloid press between 1993 and 2006, that Mr Guy Opperman Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions) must have seen or viewed in order to make such an unequivocally statement.

Please send me audited conformation that Mr Guy Opperman Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions) must had seen or indeed have this confirmed by a Government Department that 600 mentions of state pension age equalisation in the national broadsheet and tabloid press between 1993 and 2006 existed?

Please supply me a copy of that Mr Guy Opperman Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions) briefing paper in which he answered these questions.
Mr Guy Opperman Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions) was asked a question called State Retirement Pensions: Females: Written question – 190377 he said:

The volumes recorded in the second table have been rounded to the nearest 1000 and include mailings undertaken as part of a communications research project, and those sent to men who were also affected by the 2011 Act.

It is not possible to provide the volumes sent to women only in relation to the 2011 Act, as we do not hold the information split by gender.

It had listed date of birth 06/04/55 – 05/04/60 mailing date Oct 2012 – Nov 2013 the total of Number of letters sent out was 4,475,000
This is a stark difference to a freedom of Information Request Ref: VTR 3902 Date: 5 October 2015 where the Customer’s date of birth 06/04/55 – 05/04/60 had the quaintly as 5668000.

My Freedom of Information Request is:

Why is such a difference of 1193000 people who was reported in 2015 against what Mr Guy Opperman Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions) had reported to Parliament?

Does this mean that an under reporting has occurred by the DWP, when supplying this information to parliament, you would think that in 2015 the DWP would have a more updated recorded due to being only under two years when this supposed mailing was performed, please supply me the documentation from 2015 and of 2018 in which the DWP had obtained this information.

Have the DWP undertook a full investigation on this reported vast difference to official DWP reporting if so please forward me the conclusion of such investigation, can the DWP give me the correct information to which is the correct volume of letters that were sent to people from date of birth 06/04/55 – 05/04/60 mailing date Oct 2012 – Nov 2013.

From the Department for Work and Pensions Communication Capability Review Date: February 2013 Item2.8 the DWP had said:

Since March 2010, DWP has reduced it communications staff headcount by 46%, and consolidated the Department's communications expertise within a smaller, more efficient Directorate.

My Freedom of Information Request is:

With a 46% reduced headcount to the DWP communication staff since March 2010 what effect had in in communication to Women with regards to the 1995 and the 2011 Pension act, did the DWP complete a review on what effect it had on the DWP communications.
With a 46% reduced headcount to the DWP communications staff since March 2010 did the DWP out sorce the sending out the Letters to the Women that were effected by the 1995 and the 2011 Pension act, or did the DWP themselves carried out this task, what
The previous leader held the post of Director General of Marketing, Communication and Customer strategy.

When she left in January 2011 an interim was put in place until the current Director joined in November 2011.

My Freedom of Information Request is:

Who was the interim who was put in place until the current Director joined in November 2011.

Yours faithfully,
LANGTON

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no-reply@dwp.ecase.co.uk on behalf of Operations FOI Team, Department for Work and Pensions

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Dear Mrs Langton,

I am writing in response to your request for information, received 2
December.

Your response is attached

Yours sincerely,

DWP Operations FOI Team