# Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Pensions

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:
* 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 | Name | 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 |
| | Hon. 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 |
| | The Lord 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 |
| | The 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 |
| | The Lord 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 |
| | The Baroness Altmann | 11 May 2015 | 15 July 2016 | Labour (to September 2015) | David Cameron |
| | The Baroness Altmann | 11 May 2015 | 15 July 2016 | Conservative (from September 2015) | David Cameron |
| 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 | Conservative | Theresa MayBoris Johnson |
| 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 | Rishi Sunak |
| 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 | Keir Starmer |