§ Mr. McAvoyTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will specify the income sources that were included in his estimate of the increase in pensioners total incomes since 1979,Official Report, 27 October, column 456, and the percentage by which each category increased in real terms over the same period.
§ Mr. Peter LloydThe information requested is as follows:
Source Per cent.1 Retirement pension and other state benefits +19 Occupational pension +56 Investment income +64 Earnings -28 Total gross +24 Tax and National Insurance contributions +37 Total net +23 1 Percentage increase of average amount (1979–86). Note: In all cases, the figures are rounded to the nearest percentage point.
§ Mr. ShoreTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much of the 23 per cent. increase in the real income of the average pensioner between 1979 and 1986 is due to increases in the national insurance pension, how much to the 0020payment of the state earnings-related pension scheme; and how much to the payment of occupational pensions.
§ Mr. Peter LloydThe information is not available in he form requested. The available information shows that between 1979 and 1986 pensioners experienced an average real increase in gross incomes of 24 per cent. which was broken down as follows:
Breakdown of 24 per cent. Retirement pension (including state earnings-related pension) and income-related benefits 41 per cent. Occupational pensions 37 per cent. All other income 22 per cent.
§ Mrs. BeckettTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the weekly payments from occupational pension schemes by decile or quartile with respect to the number of recipients over pension age; and what is the median weekly payment from occupational pension schemes paid to recipients over pension age.
§ Mr. Peter Lloyd[holding answer 5 December 1988]: The information is not available in the form requested. The following table specifies the amount per week (rounded to the nearest lop) received in 1986 by single and married men and women over pension age in receipt of an occupational pension.
535W
Single Married Men Aged 65 and over Women Aged 60 and over Men Aged 65 and over Women With husband aged 65 and over £ £ £ £ 1st quartile 3.50 5.10 5.70 2.50 2nd quartile 10.80 10.70 17.20 9.00 3rd quartile 27.70 23.70 43.00 20.50 4th quartile 87.20 71.10 131.20 49.30 Median 16.00 14.50 25.70 13.00
§ Mrs. BeckettTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many persons and what proportion of those over pensionable age are in receipt of payments from an occupational pension scheme.
§ Mr. Peter Lloyd[holding answer 5 December 1988]: The information is not available in the form requested. In 1986 about 3.4 million tax units in Great Britain (that is, single people over pensionable age and married couples where the man is over pensionable age) were in receipt of an occupational pension—a proportion of 50 per cent.