HC Deb 19 April 1999 vol 329 cc464-5W
Mr. Cousins

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 19 March 1999,Official Report, columns 838–39, on bereavement benefits, if he will estimate the ranges of income from occupational pensions being received by the widows in receipt of such pensions. [80599]

Angela Eagle

[holding answer 14 April 1999]The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table.

Amount of occupational pension received by widows in Great Britain in 1996–97
Thousand
Amount of occupational pension received Number
No occupational pension 1,450
£0-£10 180
£10-£20 260
£20-£30 180
£30-£40 140
£40-£50 100
£50 or more 80
Total 2,780

The information provided in my Written Answer on 19 March 1999, Official Report, at columns 838–39 included information on widowers. The analysis reproduced related only to widows.

Number and proportion of widows in receipt of occupational pension by Government Office Region/Home Nation (1996–97)
Number of widows (Thousand) Percentage of widows
Government Office Regions (exc. NI) In receipt of occupational pension Not in receipt of occupational pension Total In receipt of occupational pension Not in receipt of occupational pension Total
London 120 190 310 40 60 100
South East 190 170 360 54 46 100
South West 120 120 230 50 50 100
Wales 90 90 180 51 49 100
Scotland 120 140 250 46 54 100
England 1,120 1,230 2,350 48 52 100
All widows 1,330 1,450 2,780 48 52 100

Notes:

  1. 1. The figures above are estimates and are taken from the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) 1996–97 data set which are based on the Family Resources Survey (FRS). The FRS does not include Northern Ireland. 1996–97 is the latest year for which information is available.
  2. 2. All monetary values are given in April 1998 prices.
  3. 3. Estimates are given in thousands and are rounded to the nearest 10.000. Due to rounding components may not sum to totals.