§ Mrs. Wiseasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many occupational pensioners between 60 and 65 years of age have occupational pensions of over £40; and how many of these are drawing unemployment benefit.
§ Mr. OrmeInformation is not available as to the numbers of occupational pensioners with pensions of over £40 weekly. It is, however, estimated that, in July 1976, about 14,000 persons who were registered as unemployed and aged between 55 and 64 were in receipt of occupational pensions in excess of £35 a week. Of this number about 7,000 were in receipt of unemployment benefit.
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§ Mrs. Wiseasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many occupational pensioners between 60 and 65 years of age have occupational pensions of between £25 and £40.
§ Mr. OrmeInformation is not available as to the number of occupational pensioners with pensions of between £25 and £40 a week. It is, however, estimated that, of those occupational pensioners aged between 55 and 64 who were registered as unemployed in July 1976, 16,000 were in receipt of occupational pensions of between £20 and £35 a week.
§ Mrs. Wiseasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) why he has chosen the sum of £25 per week occupation pension as the likely figure above which unemployed occupational pensioners between 60 and 65 years of age will lose unemployment benefit;
(2) how many unemployed occupational pensioners between 60 and 65 years of age and drawing unemployment benefit, are deemed by him not to be genuinely seeking work; and on what basis he distinguishes them from those who are;
(3) why he proposes changes in the national insurance principle rather than operating the existing rules for eligibility to benefit in the case of any occupational pensioner drawing unemployment benefit without genuinely seeking work.
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§ Mr. OrmeI would ask my hon. Friend to await the Second Reading debate on the Social Security (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill on 2nd December.
§ Mrs. Wiseasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many occupational pensioners between 60 and 65 years of age are registered as unemployed and drawing unemployment benefit.
§ Mr. OrmeThe information is not readily available in the form requested but, on present information, it is estimated that, in July 1976, about 40,000 occupational pensioners aged between 55 and 64 were registered as unemployed and drawing unemployment benefit.