HC Deb 27 January 1978 vol 942 cc812-3W
Mr. Brotherton

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people are in receipt of graduated pension to the value of 2½p a week.

Mr. Deakins

I regret that this information is not readily available. Graduated pensions are normally payable as an increase of a retirement pension. Where there is no title to a retirement pension the graduated pension is paid on its own, except where the title to graduated pension is less than 12½p a week. In that event, the graduated pension is commuted to a single lump sum payment. Single payments are not, however, made to married women who will become entitled to a retirement pension on their husbands' contributions when the husband retires. They receive their graduated pension at four weekly intervals until they become entitled to their retirement pension. There are about 25,000 married women in this category, of whom about 7,000 receive graduated pension of 2½p a week.

Mr. Brotherton

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what is the cost of operating the old graduated pension scheme; and what would be the cost of making a single repayment of all the original contributions;

(2) how many people are in receipt of payments under the old graduated pension scheme; what is the average weekly payment; how many people are paid quarterly; and what is the cost of administering the scheme.

Mr. Deakins

Approximately 3,700,000 people receive payments of graduated pension, the average weekly payment being about 37p. Graduated pensions are normally payable as an increase of retirement pension, and I regret that the information which is readily available about the quarterly payments of retirement pensions does not enable the numbers of those payments which include graduated pension to be determined. As the graduated pension scheme is administered as part of the national insurance scheme as a whole, it is not possible to assess separately the cost of its administration.

The cost of repaying graduated contributions, after allowing for payments already made of graduated pensions and earnings-related supplements, to which those contributions also conferred title, would be about £10,000 million as at March 1977.