HC Deb 20 April 2000 vol 348 cc602-3W
Mr. Welsh

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the cost of increasing the basic state pension in line with average earnings over the next five years in(a) Scotland and (b) the UK. [119868]

Mr. Rooker

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

Estimate for Great Britain and Scotland
£ million
Great Britain Scotland
Year Gross cost Net cost Gross cost
2000–01 350 250 50
2001–02 900 700 100
2002–03 1,650 1,250 150
2003–04 2,450 1,900 250
2004–05 3,300 2,600 300

Notes:

  1. 1. Costs are rounded to the nearest £50 million and are in 2000–01 benefit rates.
  2. 2. Costs include benefits whose rates are linked by statute to the rate of basic Retirement Pension.
  3. 3. Gross costs are estimated by the Government Actuary's Department. Costs net of means-tested benefit savings have been estimated using the Policy Simulation Model and PENSIM.
  4. 4. Net costs are not available for Scotland.
  5. 5. UK figures are not available.

Mr. Field

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the average length of time that(a) male pensioners, (b) female pensioners and (c) all pensioners have drawn the basic state retirement pension at five yearly intervals since 1970. [120053]

Mr. Rooker

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

The mean and median length of time in years since reaching pensionable age for the population of pensionable age
Men aged 65+ Women aged 60+ Men and Women aged 65+/60+
Mean Median Mean Median Mean Median
1970 7.6 6.1 10.9 9.5 9.9 8.3
1975 7.6 6.2 11.3 10.0 10.1 8.6
1980 7.8 6.7 11.8 10.8 10.5 9.2
1985 8.4 7.4 12.2 11.3 11.0 9.8
1990 8.6 7.3 12.8 11.4 11.4 10.0
The mean and median length of time in years since reaching pensionable age for the population of pensionable age
Men aged 65+ Women aged 60+ Men and Women aged 65+/60+
Mean Median Mean Median Mean Median
1995 9.0 7.8 13.3 12.3 11.8 10.3
1998 9.2 8.1 13.4 12.4 11.9 10.6

Notes:

  1. 1. Estimates are supplied by the Government Actuary's Department and are based on population estimates supplied by the Office for National Statistics.
  2. 2. Figures relate to Great Britain.
  3. 3. Estimates are likely to overestimate average durations of State Retirement Pension claims, due to those who claim their pension after State pension age.

Mr. Welsh

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the annual cost in(a) Scotland and (b) the UK of raising the basic state pension to the level of the minimum income guarantee for (i) all pensioners, (ii) pensioners aged over 70 years and (iii) pensioners aged over 80 years. [119867]

Mr. Rooker

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

Estimates for Great Britain and Scotland of the cost of raising the basic state pension to the level of the M1G in the year 2001–02
£ million
All pensioners Pensioners over 70 Pensioners over 80
Great Britain
Gross cost 5650 3750 1450
Net cost 4500 2850 950
Scotland
Gross cost 500 300 100

Notes:

  1. 1. Costs are rounded to the nearest to the £50 million and are 2000/1 benefit rates.
  2. 2. Costs do not include benefits whose rates are linked to the rate of basic Retirement Pension as the question asked for the pensioner costs only.
  3. 3. Gross costs are estimated by the Government Actuary's Department. Costs net of means-tested benefit savings have been estimated using the Policy Simulation Model.
  4. 4. Net costs are not available for Scotland.
  5. 5. UK figures are not available.