HC Deb 17 March 1978 vol 946 c352W
Mr. David Price

asked the Secretary 01 State for Social Services what is his estimate of the number of women over the age of 60 years and of men over the age of 65 years in the United Kingdom; how many are in receipt of a national insurance retirement pension; how many are in receipt of a private superannuation pension including public service pensioners; how many receive neither; and how many in each of these three categories are in receipt of supplementary benefit.

Mr. Orme

It is estimated that in November 1976, the latest date for which figures are available, there were, in the United Kingdom, about 3,000,000 men over age 65 and about 6,500,000 women over age 60. Of these, about 2,900,000 men and 5,350,000 women were in receipt of a State retirement pension, including old person's pensions; and about 2,000,000 men and 1,000,000 women were in receipt of an occupational pension from an employer's scheme. No information is available on the numbers who receive neither a State retirement pension nor an occupational pension. People receiving supplementary pensions include about 455,000 men and 1,425,000 women also receiving a State retirement pension and about 186,000 occupational pensioners—separate figures for men and women are not available. No information is available as to the numbers of men and women receiving supplementary pensions who have no other pension.