§ Mr. Newtonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people deferred retirement in November 1976.
§ Mr. Orme,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 16th June 1977; Vol. 933, c. 265–6] gave the following information:
This is not an area where accurate estimates are easy to make. But information currently available suggests that the position in November 1976 was broadly as follows:
Men Aged 65–69 Numbers with title to a retirement pension on their own contributions, but forgoing it while deferring retirement 120,000 Numbers of the above who were drawing invalidity pension 25,000 Number of women drawing neither a retirement, nor an invalidity pension who, if they qualified for pension, would entitle their husbands to benefit also 70,000 Women Aged 60–64 Numbers with title to a retirement pension on their own contributions, but forgoing it while deferring retirement 45,000 Numbers of the above who were drawing invalidity pension 3,000 Number of men drawing neither a retirement pension nor an invalidity pension who, if they qualified for pension, would entitle their wives to benefit also —