Number of age 60+ women in receipt of state pensions based on ex husband NI record

The request was partially successful.

Dear Department for Work and Pensions,

Please provide me with the number of women aged 60+ in receipt of a state pension based on their ex-husband's NI record. This is a pension based using the Reduced Rate Election rules.

Please provide me with the number of women aged 60+ who were divorced before retirement and receive their state pension based on their own NI record.

Yours faithfully,

Pauline Hinder

DWP freedom-of-information-requests, Department for Work and Pensions

This is an automated confirmation that your request for information has
been accepted by the DWP FoI mailbox.
 
By the next working day your request will be forwarded to the relevant
information owner within the Department who will respond to you direct. 
 
If your email is a Freedom of Information request you can normally
expect a response within 20 working days.
 
Should you have any further queries in connection with this request do
please contact us.
 
For further information on the Freedom of Information Act within DWP
please click on the link below.
 
[1]http://www.dwp.gov.uk/freedom-of-informa...
 

show quoted sections

References

Visible links
1. http://www.dwp.gov.uk/freedom-of-informa...

DWP Strategy Freedom of Information, Department for Work and Pensions

Thank you for your Freedom of Information request.

You can expect a reply by 30 April 2018 unless I need to come back to you to clarify your request or the balance of the public interest test needs to be considered.

If you have any queries about this letter please contact me quoting the reference number above.

Yours sincerely

DWP Strategy FoI Team

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your right to complain under the Freedom of Information Act

If you are not happy with this response you may request an internal review by e-mailing [DWP request email] or by writing to DWP, Central FoI Team,
Caxton House, Tothill Street, SW1H 9NA. Any review request should be submitted within two months of the date of this letter. Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review you may apply directly to the Information Commissioner’s Office for a decision. Generally the Commissioner cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted our own complaints procedure. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: The Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow Cheshire SK9 5AF
www.ico.org.uk/Global/contact_us or telephone 0303 123 1113 or 01625 545745

Dear Department for Work and Pensions,

Please provide me with the number of women aged 60+ in receipt of a state pension based on their ex-husband's NI record. This is a pension based using the Reduced Rate Election rules.

Please provide me with the number of women aged 60+ who were divorced before retirement and receive their state pension based on their own NI record.

Yours faithfully,

Pauline Hinder

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #474521 email]

Is [DWP request email] the wrong address for Freedom of Information requests to Department for Work and Pensions? If so, please contact us using this form:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/change_re...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/offi...

For more detailed guidance on safely disclosing information, read the latest advice from the ICO:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/ico-...

Please note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will be delayed.

If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.

show quoted sections

DWP Strategy Freedom of Information, Department for Work and Pensions

1 Attachment

FoI 1663

Please see the attached reply to your Freedom of Information request.
 

Yours sincerely
 
DWP Strategy FoI Team

show quoted sections

Dear DWP freedom-of-information-requests,

I am concerned for divorced women who paid MWRE, then divorced were not offered or did not know they could claim on their ex-spouses NI record (to 2016) for a better pension than on their own record.

So
1) What efforts are being made to send targeted information about the 2 options all MWRE who have returned their MWRE and ticked reason for return as 'divorced' may be entitled to?

2) If the DWP has not contacted all those affected, the claimants may be underpaid pensions based on their own short NIC record. Or worse still, the DWP may write asking for NIC top-ups payments that are completely unnecessary as the claimant would be entitled to more pension, had she not remarried/in a civil relationship, on her ex's NIC record.

3) I wish to know
-how many women opted to pay MWRE to date,
- how many still have a current MWRE entitlement
- how many of all MWRE optants are still alive
-how many former MWRE who divorced and may be eligible under the RRE rules potentially for a better state pension.

4). As this MWRE group of contributors have been fully 'certificated and tracked' in all their employments, by employers the DWP should have 100% reliable and full reference records.

5) please fully explain the treatment of women who fit the RRE rules in both scenarios; ie their ex is living or if their ex is deceased.

Yours sincerely,

Pauline Hinder

DWP freedom-of-information-requests, Department for Work and Pensions

This is an automated confirmation that your request for information has
been accepted by the DWP FoI mailbox.
 
By the next working day your request will be forwarded to the relevant
information owner within the Department who will respond to you direct. 
 
If your email is a Freedom of Information request you can normally
expect a response within 20 working days.
 
Should you have any further queries in connection with this request do
please contact us.
 
For further information on the Freedom of Information Act within DWP
please click on the link below.
 
[1]http://www.dwp.gov.uk/freedom-of-informa...
 

show quoted sections

References

Visible links
1. http://www.dwp.gov.uk/freedom-of-informa...

DWP Strategy Freedom of Information, Department for Work and Pensions

Thank you for your Freedom of Information review request.

Please note that it is our internal target to answer reviews within 20 working days unless I need to come back to you to clarify your request, or the balance of the public interest test needs to be considered which we will keep you informed about.

If you have any queries about this letter please contact me quoting the reference number above.

Yours sincerely

DWP Strategy FoI Team

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your right to complain under the Freedom of Information Act

If you are not happy with this response you may request an internal review by e-mailing [DWP request email] or by writing to DWP, Central FoI Team,
Caxton House, Tothill Street, SW1H 9NA. Any review request should be submitted within two months of the date of this letter. Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review you may apply directly to the Information Commissioner’s Office for a decision. Generally the Commissioner cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted our own complaints procedure. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: The Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow Cheshire SK9 5AF
www.ico.org.uk/Global/contact_us or telephone 0303 123 1113 or 01625 545745

show quoted sections

Dear DWP Strategy Freedom of Information,
Thank you. Await your reply.
Yours sincerely,

Pauline Hinder

DWP Strategy Freedom of Information, Department for Work and Pensions

1 Attachment

Our Reference Number: IR 386 Please quote this number in any correspondence.

Please see the attached reply to your Freedom of Information Internal Review request.
 

Yours sincerely
 
DWP Strategy FoI Team

show quoted sections

Dear DWP Strategy Freedom of Information,

Please respond using option 2 of your response; in other words using stats from women who are alive and have divorced or been widowed but had been MWRE and therefore may be entitled to State prnsion top up from their ex's/late husbands NIC record without needing to pay themselves.

Yours sincerely,

Pauline Hinder

DWP Strategy Freedom of Information, Department for Work and Pensions

As advised in our response to your internal review request dated 09 August 2018, if you are dissatisfied with the outcome of the internal review, you may apply directly to the Information Commissioner for an independent review. Generally the Commissioner cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted the complaints procedure provided by the Civil Service Commission. We confirm that you have now exhausted that procedure.
 
Details of how to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner can be found here:
https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/offi...
 
As we are unable to assist you further with this matter, the Department for Work and Pensions will not be responding to any further related correspondence. 

Yours sincerely
 
DWP Strategy FoI Team

show quoted sections