§ Mr. GardinerTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security on what basis he has calculated the net average income of single pensioners at £132 per week. [115115]
§ Mr. RookerThe £132 per week figure refers to mean incomes of single pensioners from all sources, after tax payments and before housing costs have been deducted. The figure quoted is for the financial year 1997–98 and is expressed in July 1997 prices.
The figure is taken from "The Pensioners' Incomes Series 1997/8" (PI) which is based on data from the Family Resources Survey (FRS). The PI series looks at cash incomes directly received by pensioners in Great Britain. The FRS does not collect information on people living in institutions, such as prisons or nursing homes, therefore the PI series does not cover these people.