New flat rate state pension April 2016 - Actual Amounts

saver861

gadgetmind wrote: »

In the vast majority of cases, they did it to themselves by not reading the available information.

No. When the Minister herself states the changes were mis-sold then that means they could find no-body else to blame. So, I think your summation is 'wide of the mark' to use another government phrase!!

Significant reforms to the state pension, due to roll out next year, have been mis-sold, according the pensions minister.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/480eb06e-8866-11e5-90de-f44762bf9896.html#axzz3xsyWs6OU

neilvw

In evidence to the parliamentary committee, Steve Webb suggested she had been bounced by the journalist into that answer.

saver861

neilvw wrote: »

In evidence to the parliamentary committee, Steve Webb suggested she had been bounced by the journalist into that answer.

If it was not the case she would not have been 'bounced' and she would not have said they were actively trying to put it right.

If she can't deal with a journalist question what chance has she of running the department and getting the communication correct!

I expect more from government and ministers .... others might not but I certainly do.

JezR

She never used the words 'mis-sold'. The interviewer did within a long sentence and she agreed with the overall meaning of this. Then the word is transferred as though it came from her mouth. Classic journalist trick.

In the parli committee more than one questioner used the term mis-sold, and Altmann was careful this time not to agree. Bitten once, shy twice for the same trick. Her communications head pointed out what had happened earlier on and then the silly game ceased.

saver861

JezR wrote: »

In the parli committee more than one questioner used the term mis-sold, and Altmann was careful this time not to agree. Bitten once, shy twice for the same trick. Her communications head pointed out what had happened earlier on and then the silly game ceased.

Ahh right .....

So this level of coaching is necessary for a Minister in charge of the biggest Pension changes in history and communicating these changes to the recipients??

Nothing of note to worry about there then ....

JezR

It is perfectly normal when calling a government department to a parli committee to get the relevant minister and civil servant together. The former in the main to talk to government policy and the latter to its administration and implementation.

chris_m

JezR wrote: »

It is perfectly normal when calling a government department to a parli committee to get the relevant minister and civil servant together. The former in the main to talk to government policy and the latter to its administration and implementation.

And it's more efficient to have them both there at the same time to avoid the "I'll have to consult the Minister/Permanent Secretary about that" replies.
The fun comes when one drops the other in the proverbial.

Or was Yes Minister really just fiction?
:rotfl:

gadgetmind

saver861 wrote: »

communicating these changes to the recipients??

Well, there's the hard part. Some of these recipients clearly need short words formed into simple sentences and can't handle any detail, yet these changes are all about the detail. How do you convey a complex message to these people?

saver861

JezR wrote: »

It is perfectly normal when calling a government department to a parli committee to get the relevant minister and civil servant together. The former in the main to talk to government policy and the latter to its administration and implementation.

Of course - but that's not the point you were referring to earlier when Altmann had to be told what not to say.

Look, Altmann is probably as honourable as any politician and more so than most. When she said there was a lot of confusion in relation to the new pensions system, she was telling the truth. That was not some journalist ambush!! Those are the facts.

Anybody who does not think there is confusion around the new pension are confused themselves!!

JezR

'Altmann had to be told what not to say'. Not sure where you got that from. Not from me.

The word she used herself incidentally in the original interview was 'misconceptions', which isn't a million miles from 'confusion'.