§ Mr. WebbTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will set out the basis for his calculation that pensioner households are on average £400 per year better off than when the Government came into office. [116470]
§ Mr. RookerThe £400 figure is a rounded illustrative average across all pensioner households and covers winter fuel payments, free television licences for the over-75s, our minimum income guarantee measures and various tax changes and includes measures announced in the Budget.
Expenditure as a percentage of GDP1 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 Retirement Pensions2 4.18 4.12 4.15 4.19 4.08 4.10 Winter Fuel Payments 0.00 0.02 0.02 0.08 0.15 0.13 Means-tested benefits for pensioners3 1.13 1.07 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.03 Other benefits paid to pensioners4 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.02 Concessionary TV Licences 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.04 0.04 Total 5.33 5.23 5.19 5.29 5.28 5.30 1 Expenditure figures are consistent with estimates of Social Security AME expenditure published in the March 2000 Financial Statement and Budget Report (FSBR). GDP figures for 1996–97 and 1998–99 were published by HM Treasury at the same time. Forecast figures for GDP for 1999–2000 to 2001–02 are from Table B6 of the FSBR. 2 Includes Retirement Pension basic and earnings-related components. 3 Includes Income Support, Social Fund payments, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit paid to people aged 60 and over. 4 Includes non-contributory Retirement Pension and Christmas Bonus (contributory and non-contributory).