From the blog: There was a big upset in Westminster over the weekend as former secretary of state for work and pensions Iain Duncan Smith resigned in protest over the chancellor’s latest round of benefit cuts.
Duncan Smith had served in the post since May 2010, presiding over years of cuts as part of the government’s agenda to balance the budget, but said in a letter the latest cuts to disability benefits were “a compromise too far”.
He added: “I believe the cuts would have been even fairer to younger families and people of working age if we had been willing to reduce some of the benefits given to better-off pensioners.”
Duncan Smith had served in the post since May 2010, presiding over years of cuts as part of the government’s agenda to balance the budget, but said in a letter the latest cuts to disability benefits were “a compromise too far”.
He added: “I believe the cuts would have been even fairer to younger families and people of working age if we had been willing to reduce some of the benefits given to better-off pensioners.”
The resignation came as a shock to many, with the pensions minister quick to distance herself from the outgoing secretary:
IDS undermined my efforts to help on important pension policy issues like women's pensions. Look fwd to working with Stephen Crabb
— Ros Altmann (@rosaltmann) March 19, 2016
This could be seen as good news for, among others, the Waspi campaign, which has expressed its frustration with the pensions minister's seeming reluctance to engage.
In a statement following the resignation, Altmann said: "I have found him exceptionally difficult to work for. It has been a hugely challenging time for me as he was preventing me from speaking to the public and has often been obstructive to my efforts to resolve important pensions policy issues such as on women's pensions."
How this will change under Stephen Crabb, the new work and pensions secretary, is unclear. However, as of Monday afternoon the campaign's twitter account remained blocked by Altmann:
And in other Twitter news, #WASPI remains blocked by the Pensions Minister... pic.twitter.com/18oUYUSWaP
— #WASPI Campaign (@WASPI_Campaign) 21 March 2016
What will this mean for pensions?
Henry Tapper, director at consultancy First Actuarial, said Duncan Smith "had no interest in pensions", and it would be good for pensions if Altmann was allowed to pursue her policy agenda.
"If, for whatever reason, Ros's position becomes untenable, we're back to [ministers] learning about pensions. It comes down to whether she can get the foothold that Steve Webb was able to get."
However, Steve Webb, now director of policy at provider Royal London, said any new secretary of state for work and pensions would have "a lot on their plate that isn't pensions", meaning it could well slip down the agenda.
