State pension payment delays slammed by MP

A call has been made for urgent action to investigate and address ongoing delays in state pension payments.

Arran’s MP Patricia Gibson has formally written to the secretary of state for work and pensions Therese Coffey calling on her to take action after being contacted by a number of constituents who have still to receive their pension payments more than a month after reaching their state pension age.

Pensioner poverty has recently risen to a 15-year high of 18 per cent, meaning 2.1 million pensioners across the UK are now living in poverty. The state pension is the most important source of income for many.

Mrs Gibson said: ‘It is deeply concerning new pensioners are facing unacceptable delays in vital support from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), particularly as pensioner poverty continues to rise under this UK government. It is particularly upsetting for those WASPI women who, after being forced to wait six years to get the pension to which they are entitled, finally reach the new state pension age, only to find that poor service from the DWP has left them in limbo as they face unacceptable delays to receiving their rightful pension payments upon which they rely. Despite raising these issues on behalf of an individual, I have found the DWP uncooperative and lax in addressing these concerns. ‘The UK government must urgently investigate the delays experienced by new pensioners and take all necessary action to ensure state pension payments are made on time.’