HC Deb 07 February 1995 vol 254 cc201-3W
Mr. Frank Field

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list for each of the past 30 years(a) the number and percentage of people claiming the state retirement pension, (b) the number and percentage

Claimants over slate retirement age with and without Retirement Pension (RP), Supplementary Benefit (SB), Income Support (IS) and Housing Benefit (HB). Table 1A: Number of claimants—(Thousands)
People with RP People without RP
Year All (a) With IS/SB only (b) With IS/SB and HB With HB only (c) All With IS/SB only (b) With IS/SB and HB With HB only (c)
1964 6,158(d) 1,747
1965 6,357(d) 1,710
1966 6,540(d) 1,622
1967 6,769(d) 1,560
1968 6,973(d) 1,497
1969 7,170(d)(e) 1,662 1,457 208
1970 7,363(d)(e) 1,700 1,396 200
1971 7,515(d) 1,735 1,404 185
1972 7,668(d) 1,733 1,367 177
1973 7,688 1,467
1974 7,822 1,654 1,454 156
1975 7,985 1,538 1,399 142
1976 8,155 1,547 1,295 143
1977 8,266 1,590 1,242 150
1978 8,397 1,593 1,138 147
1979 8,528 1,599 1,032 121
1980 8,681 1,576 1,032 114
1981 8,780 1,624 1,030 116
1982 8,877 1,683 990 97
1983 8,936 1,549 946 101
1984 9,003 1,565 907 115
1985 9,085 936
1986 9,210 1,592 892 128
1987 9,310 1,613 863 117
1988 9,298 1,431 923 109
1989 9,305 1,314 1,057 974 116 108
1990 9,391 595 789 1,033 919 59 60 109
1991 9,380 595 677 1,026 976 68 65 124
1992 9,425 692 626 1,031 955 76 64 123
1993 9,448 674 712 952 943 80 75 120
1994 9,442

Table 1B: As a percentage of all people over state retirement age.
People with RP People without RP
All (a) With IS/SB only (b) With IS/SB and HB With HB only (c) All With IS/SB only (b) With IS/SB and HB With HB only (c)
1964 77.9 22.1
1965 78.8 21.2
1966 80.1 19.9
1967 81.3 18.7
1968 82.3 17.7
1969 83.1 19.3 16.9 2.4
1970 84.1 19.4 15.9 2.3
1971 84.3 19.5 15.7 2.1
1972 84.9 19.2 15.1 2
1973 84 16
1974 84.3 17.8 15.7 1.7
1975 85.1 16.4 14.9 1.5
1976 86.3 16.4 13.7 1.5
1977 86.9 16.7 13.1 1.6
1978 88.1 16.7 11.9 1.5
1979 89.2 16.7 10.8 1.3
1980 89.4 16.2 10.6 1.2
1981 89.5 16.6 10.5 1.2

receiving income support, (c) the number of people over retirement age who draw only income support and (d) the number receiving the relevant pension plus housing benefit.

Mr. Arbuthnot

The available information is in the tables.

Table 1B: As a percentage of all people over state retirement age.
People with RP People without RP
All (a) With IS/SB only (b) With IS/SB and HB With HB only (c) All With IS/SB only (b) With IS/SB and HB With HB only (c)
1982 90.0 17.1 10 1.0
1983 90.4 15.7 9.6 1.0
1984 90.8 15.8 9.2 1.2
1985 90.7 9.3
1986 91.2 15.8 8.8 1.3
1987 91.5 15.9 8.5 1.2
1988 91.0 14.0 9.0 1.1
1989 90.5 12.8 10.3 9.5 1.1 1.0
1990 91.1 5.8 7.7 10.0 8.9 0.6 0.6 1.1
1991 90.6 5.8 6.6 10.0 9.5 0.7 0.6 1.2
1992 90.8 6.7 6.1 10.0 9.3 0.7 0.6 1.2
1993 90.9 6.5 6.9 9.2 9.1 0.8 0.7 1.2
1994 90.8

Notes

—not available.

(a) Including AP only from 1979.

(b) All SB/IS claimants prior to 1990.

(c) All claimants aged 60 or over.

(d) Figures include a small number of pensions paid to persons overseas.

(e) Estimated figures.

1. Males aged 65 or over and females aged 60 or over.

2. Supplementary benefit, income support and housing benefit figures are for claimants only, ie partners are not counted.

3. Housing benefit data are not available prior to 1989.

4. Income support replaced supplementary benefit in 1988.

5. "People without RP" includes those who have elected to receive invalidity benefit or widows benefit, rather than any retirement pension to which they may be entitled.

6. To arrive at the total number and proportion of people over pension age receiving IS/SB, it is necessary to add the figures in columns 3, 4, 7 and 8.

Sources

Supplementary benefit/income support statistics annual inquiries.

Retirement pension annual inquiries.

Housing benefit management information statistics.