Pensioners: Payments

Bob Spink
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners had payment of their pension suspended as a result of their mail being returned by the post office to a Pensions Office in the last 12 months.

Ms Rosie Winterton
[holding answer 21 January 2009]: The information requested is not available.

Bob Spink
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make it his policy that pension payments continue to be made in circumstances where mail sent to pensioners is returned to a pensions office at least until the reasons for the return of mail have been established.

Ms Rosie Winterton
It is the current policy within the Department for Work and Pensions that if mail that has been sent to our customer is returned, as it appears they are no longer at that address, then inquiries are conducted before any decision to suspend payment is  considered by the decision maker. These inquiries will include; telephoning last known number, a referral to local service and making inquiries of local social services to see if they know of the customer.