Guy Opperman has been appointed as the Parliamentary Under Secretary for Pensions and Financial Inclusion, a new role within the Department for Work and Pensions.

According to the DWP's website, the minister’s responsibilities will include overseeing pensioner benefits, including new State Pension, Winter Fuel Payments and Pension Credit, along with a State Pension age review.

Within private and occupational pensions, his responsibilities will also include regulatory powers, Automatic Enrolment and the National Employment Savings Trust (NEST).

Opperman will also have oversight of arms-length bodies, including the Pensions Regulator, Pension Protection Fund, Financial Assistance Scheme and Pensions Ombudsman.

Within the 'financial inclusion' brief, he will look at financial inclusion and guidance, including the Single Financial Guidance Body, Credit Unions and Post Office Card Accounts.

Commenting on his appointment, Opperman said: “It is a privilege to have this opportunity to undertake a role promoting financial inclusion and helping people prepare for later life, with both a state and private pension. Automatic enrolment has been a huge success and I look forward to our efforts to build on this.”

Opperman was elected as an MP in May 2010 and and was one of the first MPs in the UK to employ an apprentice. He was re-elected in last week’s general election with 52.7 per cent of the constituency’s votes.

He has previously served as a Private Parliamentary Secretary to Mark Harper, the then Immigration Minister. He also served as Assistant Government Whip in May 2015 until July 2016.

Prior to politics he spent 20 years as a barrister and was also director of his family’s engineering business until 2009.He is also an amateur jockey and rode his first win in 1985.

Opperman replaces Harrington who has moved from the DWP where he served as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Pensions. Harrington served in the role from 17 July 2016, when Prime Minister Theresa May took over from David Cameron.

The former Minister has now moved to the Department for Business Energy and Industrial State.

Opperman's new title is the second time the role has been amended following Harrington's last year. The former Pensions Minister was appointed as Under Secretary of State for Pensions from the previous Pensions Minister within the DWP, resulting in speculation about the stability and importance of the Pensions Minister role.

Opperman's appointment follows earlier speculation as to who will be appointed in the pensions role. Caroline Dinenage was announced as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Work and Pensions yesterday evening and has now been confirmed as Parliamentary Under Secretary for Family Support, Housing and Child Maintenance. She previously served as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Women, Equalities and Early Years at the Department for Education from 17 July 2016 to 14 June 2017.

In addition, Baroness Buscombe has been appointed the the Department for Work and Pensions as a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in an unpaid role.

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