HC Deb 09 July 2003 vol 408 cc847-8W
John Thurso

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people he estimates are eligible to receive pension credit, broken down by region. [1245:2]

Malcolm Wicks

The information is in the table.

Region Pensioner households entitled to pension credit
North East 250,000
North West and Merseyside 500,000
Yorkshire and Humber 350,000
East Midlands 300,000
West Midlands 350,000
Eastern 300,000
London 450,000
South East 350,000
South West 300,000
Wales 250,000
Scotland 400,000
Total (GB) 3,800,000

Notes:

Estimates are done on a benefit unit basis (sigle pensioner or persioner couple).

Figures include care home cases.

Figures are rounded to the nearest 50,000.

Source:

Policy simulation modal 2003–04, based on data from the Family Resources Survey 2000–01

Mr. Paul Marsden

To ask the Secretary of State f or Work and Pensions how many pensioners he estimal es will be the subject of means-testing when the pension credit is introduced in(a) Shrewsbury and Atcham and (b) Shropshire. [121710]

Malcolm Wicks

Estimates of pension credit entitlement are not available at an individual constituency or county level due to insufficient sample cases in the survey data used. However, around half of all pensioner households across Great Britain will be eligible for pension credit. They stand to gain, on average, £400 a year.

Pension credit, unlike the means tested benefits of the past, is simple to apply for, involving a straightforward phone call. Once awarded the majority of pensioners, aged 65 and over, will not have to notify changes in their financial circumstances for a period of five years. Pension credit rewards, not penalises saving, ensuri rig that those who have worked hard to save modest amounts gain from having done so. By ignoring any income from savings below £6,000, 85 per cent. of pensioners getting pension credit will see any income they receive from their savings ignored completely.

Nationally around 1.8 million minimum income guarantee (MIG) claims will be automatically transferred to pension credit. As at February 2003 there were 2,600 people receiving MIG in the parliamentary constituency of Shrewsbury and Atcham and 8,100 in Shropshire county.

Source

Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiry, February 2003.

Sir Archy Kirkwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of working age(a) adults, (b) men and (c) women in each region of the UK are contributing to (i) occupational and (ii) personal pensions. [123937]

Malcolm Wicks

The information for regions of Great Britain is in the table.

Percentage of working age people contributing to occupational pensions by Government office region and gender, 2001–02, Great Britain
Cell percentage
Male Female Adults
North East 36 28 33
North West 32 31 32
Yorkshire and Humberside 29 32 31
East Midlands 31 26 28
West Midlands 33 31 32
Eastern 37 31 34
London 31 29 30
South East 37 33 35
South West 34 31 33
Wales 31 32 31
Scotland 34 35 35

Source:

Family Resources Survey 2001–02.

Percentage of working age people contributing to personal pensions by Government office region and gender, 2001–02, Great Britain
Cell percentage
Male Female Adults
North East 12 4 8
North West 13 7 10
Yorkshire and Humberside 16 6 11
East Midlands 17 8 13
West Midlands 17 8 13
Eastern 21 10 16
London 15 8 12
South East 19 9 15
South West 20 11 16
Wales 12 5 9
Scotland 15 7 11

Notes:

1. All figures are estimates and are taken from the Family Resources Survey (FRS). 2001–02 is the latest year for which data are available. The coverage of the Survey is Great Britain.

2. Stakeholder pensions are included as personal pensions in the estimates.

3. Working age has been defined as 16–59 for women and 16–64 for men.

4. Some individuals may contribute to both an occupational and a personal pension scheme.

Source:

Family Resources Survey 2001–02

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