183 new DWP roles created to handle state pension enquiries
16 July 2021
Pensions Minister, Guy Opperman has confirmed that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is taking on 183 staff over the course of the next month to assist in answering questions regarding the state pension.
In a written statement, published on July 12, 2021, he stated:
“Between 5 July and 9 August 2021, DWP Retirement Services are recruiting 183 new members of staff to enhance our resources to work on our State Pension teams. This will enable us to continue to deliver the very best level of service to our customers.”
This follows on from the announcement back in April 2021, that an additional 360 employees would be hired throughout 2021-22 to address state pension underpayment issues. This would bring the total number of staff in the department to 510.
There are certain married people, widows and individuals aged over 80 that have been underpaid.
Previously, married women were able to claim a basic state pension at 60% of the full rate based on their husband’s contributions. This was on the assumption that the amount would be higher than the pension they would receive from their own contributions. The uplift should have been automatically applied since 17 March 2008. Before that point, a married woman was required to make a “second claim” to have her state pension uplifted when her husband turned 65, but many women did not make the relevant claims.
The aim is to pay everyone who has been underpaid what they are owed by the end of 2023. Back in March 2021, the DWP anticipated that it would cost £3 billion across a six-year period to resolve the problem.
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