High Income Child Benefit Charge:  Gender Pension Gap

Wendy Chamberlain (North East Fife) (LD)
25. What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the high income child benefit charge on the gender pension gap.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Laura Trott)
In April, we announced plans to address this issue by introducing a retrospective national insurance credit, which will ensure that more people—especially women—have the opportunity to obtain a full state pension.

Wendy Chamberlain
The high income child benefit charge is potentially a scandal waiting to happen. Currently, families have to apply for a benefit they know they are not entitled to so that the stay-at-home parent—usually the mother—gets the national insurance credits that they need for her state pension. It is good to hear that the Government are doing something, but they need to reform the process further. Will they agree to at least put some comms in? I certainly had not heard of the changes in April.

Laura Trott
I am glad that the hon. Lady agrees with those changes. I assure her that we will be bringing them forward as soon as we can.