Edge Rewrite
Jump to content

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Pensions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Minister for Pensions)

United Kingdom
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Pensions
Incumbent
Torsten Bell
since 14 January 2025
Department for Work and Pensions
StyleMinister
NominatorPrime Minister of the United Kingdom
AppointerThe Monarch
on advice of the Prime Minister
Term lengthAt His Majesty's pleasure
Websitewww.gov.uk/dwp

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Pensions is a junior position in the Department for Work and Pensions in the British government.

In the 1970s the minister was known as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Employment.

Responsibilities

[edit]

The minister's responsibilities include:[1]

  • Pensioner benefits, including new State Pension, Winter Fuel Payments, Pension Credit and Attendance Allowance
  • Private and occupational pensions, including regulatory powers and the National Employment Savings Trust (NEST)
  • Automatic enrolment into a workplace pension
  • Oversight of arm's-length bodies, including the Pensions Regulator, Pension Protection Fund, Financial Assistance Scheme and Pensions Ombudsman
  • Financial guidance, budgeting, saving and debt, including the Money and Pensions Service and Financial Inclusion Policy Forum
  • Methods of payment and Post Office Card Accounts
  • EU Exit preparation relevant to pensions
  • Cross-DWP spokesperson – shadowing Lords

List of ministers

[edit]
Name Portrait Entered office Left office Political party Prime Minister
Under-Secretary of State, Health and Social Security
Lynda Chalker 7 May 1979 5 March 1982 Conservative Margaret Thatcher
Tony Newton 5 March 1982 11 September 1984
Ray Whitney 11 September 1984 10 September 1986
Nicholas Lyell 10 September 1986 13 June 1987
Michael Portillo 13 June 1987 25 July 1988
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Social Security
Peter Lloyd 25 July 1988 28 July 1989 Conservative Margaret Thatcher
Gillian Shephard 25 July 1989 28 November 1990
Michael Jack 28 November 1990 14 April 1992 John Major
Ann Widdecombe 30 November 1990 27 May 1993
Alistair Burt 14 April 1992 6 July 1995
William Hague 27 May 1993 20 July 1994
James Arbuthnot 20 July 1994 6 July 1995
Roger Evans 20 July 1994 2 May 1997
Andrew Mitchell 6 July 1995 2 May 1997
Oliver Heald 6 July 1995 2 May 1997
Minister of State for Social Security with special responsibility for War Pensions
John MacKay, Baron MacKay of Ardbrecknish 5 July 1995 4 May 1997 Conservative John Major
Minister of State for Pensions
John Denham 1 May 1997 30 December 1998 Labour Tony Blair
Stephen Timms 23 December 1998 29 July 1999
Jeff Rooker 29 July 1999 7 June 2001
Malcolm Wicks

8 June 2001 4 April 2003
Ian McCartney 13 June 2003 6 May 2005
Stephen Timms 6 May 2005 5 May 2006
James Purnell 5 May 2006 28 June 2007
Mike O'Brien 27 June 2007 5 October 2008 Gordon Brown
Rosie Winterton 24 January 2008 5 June 2009
Minister of State for Pensions and Ageing Society
Angela Eagle 8 June 2009 11 May 2010 Labour Gordon Brown
Minister of State for Pensions
Steve Webb 12 May 2010 8 May 2015 Liberal Democrats David Cameron
Ros Altmann, Baroness Altmann 11 May 2015 15 July 2016 Conservative
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Pensions
Richard Harrington 17 July 2016 14 June 2017 Conservative Theresa May
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Pensions and Financial Inclusion
Guy Opperman 14 June 2017 8 September 2022[a] Conservative
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Pensions and Growth
Alex Burghart 20 September 2022 27 October 2022 Conservative Liz Truss
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Pensions
Laura Trott 27 October 2022 13 November 2023 Conservative Rishi Sunak
Paul Maynard 13 November 2023 5 July 2024
Emma Reynolds 9 July 2024 14 January 2025 Labour Keir Starmer
Torsten Bell 14 January 2025 Incumbent
Andy Burnham

Notes

[edit]
  1. Office vacant between 7 July and 8 July 2022, when Opperman resigned from the government until Boris Johnson announced his resignation as prime minister.[2]

References

[edit]
  1. "Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Pensions and Financial Inclusion)". GOV.UK. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  2. Blows, Laura. "Guy Opperman announces return to DWP". Pensions Age Magazine. Retrieved 9 July 2022.