Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Pensions

United Kingdom
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Pensions
Royal Arms of His Majesty's Government
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

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 arms-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

Name Portrait Entered office Left office Political party Prime Minister
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Employment
John Fraser 8 March 1974 14 April 1976 Labour Harold Wilson
Harold Walker 8 March 1974 14 April 1976 Labour Harold Wilson
John Golding 14 April 1976 4 May 1979 Labour James Callaghan
John Grant 14 April 1976 4 May 1979 Labour James Callaghan
Jim Lester 7 May 1979 5 January 1981 Conservative Margaret Thatcher
Patrick Mayhew 7 May 1979 5 January 1981 Conservative Margaret Thatcher
David Waddington 5 January 1981 6 January 1983 Conservative Margaret Thatcher
Peter Morrison 5 January 1981 13 June 1983 Conservative Margaret Thatcher
John Gummer 6 January 1983 18 October 1983 Conservative Margaret Thatcher
Alan Clark 13 June 1983 24 January 1986 Conservative Margaret Thatcher
Peter Bottomley 11 September 1984 23 January 1986 Conservative Margaret Thatcher
David Trippier 2 September 1985 13 June 1987 Conservative Margaret Thatcher
Ian Lang 31 January 1986 10 September 1986 Conservative Margaret Thatcher
John Lee 10 September 1986 26 July 1989 Conservative Margaret Thatcher
Patrick Nicholls 13 June 1987 24 July 1990 Conservative Margaret Thatcher
Thomas Galbraith, 2nd Baron Strathclyde 26 July 1989 24 July 1990 Conservative Margaret Thatcher
Robert Jackson 24 July 1990 14 April 1992 Conservative Margaret Thatcher and John Major
Eric Forth 24 July 1990 14 April 1992 Conservative Margaret Thatcher and John Major
Nicholas Lowther, 2nd Viscount Ullswater 24 July 1990 16 September 1993 Conservative Margaret Thatcher and John Major
Patrick McLoughlin 14 April 1992 27 May 1993 Conservative John Major
Ann Widdecombe 27 May 1993 20 July 1994 Conservative John Major
Oliver Eden, 8th Baron Henley 16 September 1993 20 July 1994 Conservative John Major
James Paice 20 July 1994 5 July 1995 Conservative John Major
Phillip Oppenheim 20 July 1994 5 July 1995 Conservative John Major
Minister of State for Pensions
Stephen Timms 23 December 1998 29 July 1999 Labour Tony Blair
Jeff Rooker 29 July 1999 7 June 2001 Labour Tony Blair
Malcolm Wicks

8 June 2001 4 April 2003 Labour Tony Blair
Ian McCartney 13 June 2003 6 May 2005 Labour Tony Blair
Stephen Timms 6 May 2005 5 May 2006 Labour Tony Blair
James Purnell 5 May 2006 28 June 2007 Labour Tony Blair
Mike O'Brien 27 June 2007 5 October 2008 Labour Gordon Brown
Rosie Winterton 24 January 2008 5 June 2009 Labour Gordon Brown
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 Labour (to September 2015)[2] David Cameron
Conservative (from September 2015)
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 Conservative
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Pensions
Emma Reynolds 9 July 2024 14 January 2025 Labour Keir Starmer
Torsten Bell 14 January 2025 Incumbent Labour

Notes

  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.[3]

References

  1. ^ "Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Pensions and Financial Inclusion)". GOV.UK. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  2. ^ "Tory minister Ros Altmann expelled from Labour party". The Guardian. 8 September 2015.
  3. ^ Blows, Laura. "Guy Opperman announces return to DWP". Pensions Age Magazine. Retrieved 9 July 2022.


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