§ Mr. BentonTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many senior citizens in Bootle have benefited from the winter fuel allowance since 1997. [176234]
§ Malcolm WicksThe number of senior citizens in the Bootle constituency who have benefited from a winter fuel payment in each year since 1999–2000 (including provisional figures for 2003–04) is in the table. Information relating to the 1997–98 and 1998–99 winters is not available.
Payments made 1999–2000 13,275 2000–01 14,425 2001–02 14,330 2002–03 14,270 2003–04 14,230 Notes: 1. Numbers are rounded to the nearest 5. 2. Please note that the figures for 2003–04 refer only to the main payment run i.e. they do not include the late payment run figures. We estimate that there are approximately 100,000 people in Great Britain paid via late payment runs (0.8 per cent. of all payments). However, since late payment runs are mainly in respect of non-system cases whose claim had not been received by Qualifying Week, they are heavily skewed towards men aged 60. Source: IAD Information Centre, 100 per cent. samples.