§ Mr. HoyleTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in Chorley have(a) applied for and (b) received pension credit; and what the average consequent change in income per pensioner is. [148496]
§ Malcolm WicksAt 31 December 2003 there were 3,064 pensioner households (3,659 individuals) in the Chorley constituency receiving Pension Credit. Information on the number of Pension Credit applications in individual constituencies is not available. The average weekly rate of Pension Credit awards in Chorley is £40.08. Information on the average amount gained by pensioners in individual constituencies, since 1181W the introduction of Pension Credit, will become available following publication of the November 2003 Quarterly Statistical Enquiry on 17 March 2004.
§ Helen JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the total amount spent on pension credit in Warrington, North constituency has been since its introduction. [148251]
§ Malcolm WicksThe latest departmental information suggests that between 1 October 2003 and 30 November 2003 an estimated £12 million was spent on pension credit in Warrington, North.
Notes:
1. Pension credit was introduced on 6 October 2003, therefore this figure includes five days of expenditure on the minimum income guarantee (the benefit pension credit replaces).
2. This figure is based on total expenditure on pension credit in Great Britain (GB) from the departmental Programme Accounting Computer System (PACS) data. The constituency level expenditure is estimated using 100 per cent. Generalised Matching Service (GMS) data.
3. This estimate has been rounded to the nearest £100,000.