To ask the Minister for Social Development for the commencement date of legislative changes on higher levels of pension for those with 35 years of National Insurance contributions, scheduled for 6 April 2016.

Subject to Assembly approval, Part 1 of the Pensions Bill, currently before the Assembly, provides for a new state pension scheme for people reaching state pension age on or after 6 April 2016. The Bill provides for Part 1 to come fully into operation on 6 April 2016. However, to ensure that the scheme can be fully functional from that date, some provisions will be commenced earlier. For example, it is anticipated that some provisions will be commenced shortly after Royal Assent to allow the Department to make Regulations necessary to support the new scheme.