HC Deb 08 June 1998 vol 313 c468W
20. Mr. Bennett

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will make a statement about the number of pensioners receiving income support. [42947]

Mr. Denham

The latest available figures show there are around 1.7 million pensioners receiving income support. In addition, there are an estimated 1 million pensioners who are entitled to Income Support but not claiming it. These figures represent in total around one in four pensioners.

A key objective of the pensions review is to ensure that pensioners should have an adequate income in retirement; that they should share fairly in rising national prosperity and that public finances should be both sustainable and affordable.

For today's pensioners, we have commissioned research to find out why so many pensioners fail to claim their Income Support entitlement, and we are running pilots in nine areas to find the best ways of getting help to them.

Mr. Peter Bradley

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many(a) pensioners living alone and (b) pensioner households aged (i) between the state retirement age and 75 years, (ii) 75 and 85 years and (iii) above 85 years are dependent on income support. [43801]

Mr. Denham

The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is set out in the table.

Pensioners claiming income support, November 1997
Marital status State retirement age to 74 75 to 84 Age Group 85 years and over
Couple 103,000 56,000 18,000
Single 436,000 444,000 250,000
All 539,000 501,000 268,000

Notes:

1. Figures for single claimants are based on claimants without a partner.

2. Pensioners are defined as men aged 65 and over, and women aged 60 and over. The age of a couple is determined by the age of the eldest partner.

3. Numbers are rounded to the nearest thousand cases.

4. Figures are based on a 5 per cent. sample, and are subject to a degree of sampling error.

5. This analysis excludes pensioners in residential care and nursing homes.

Source:

Income Support Statistics Quarterly Inquiry, November 1997.

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