HC Deb 16 March 1978 vol 946 cc313-5W
Mr. Bowden

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, (1) of the 435,000 women currently receiving retirement pensions at less than the standard rate, how many are being paid (a) up to £1 less than the standard rate, (b) up to £2 less than the standard rate and (c) up to £3 less than the standard rate;

(2) of the 435,000 women currently receiving retirement pensions at less than the standard rate, how many are being paid (a) up to £4 less than the standard rate and (b) up to £5 less than the standard rate;

(3) of the 435,000 women currently receiving retirement pensions at less than the standard rate, how many are being paid between £5 and £10 less than the standard rate;

(4) of the 161,000 men currently receiving retirement pensions at less than the standard rate, how many are being paid at (a) up to £4 less than the standard rate and (b) up to £5 less than the standard rate;

(5) of the 161,000 men currently receiving retirement pensions at less than the standard rate, how many are being paid between £5 and £10 less than the standard rate;

(6) of the 161,000 men currently receiving retirement pensions at less than the standard rate, how many are being paid at (a) up to £1 less than the standard rate, (b) up to £2 less than the standard rate and (c) up to £3 less than the standard rate;

(7) of the 435,000 women currently receiving retirement pensions at less than the standard rate, how many are being paid over £10 less than the standard rate:

(8) of the 161,000 men currently receiving retirement pensions at less than the standard rate, how many are being paid over £10 less than the standard rate;

(9) of the 435,000 women currently receiving retirement pensions at less than the standard rate, how many are being paid on a married woman's pension rate; and how many on a single woman's rate.

Mr. Orme

The table below sets out the estimated numbers of men and women in receipt of a reduced rate of basic national insurance retirement pension, indicating the extent to which the pension is less than the standard rate. The information relates to November 1976, the latest date for which figures are available.

AMOUNT BY WHICH PENSION IS LESS THAN THE STANDARD RATE
Men Women
Up to £1 34,000 86,000
£1.01 to £2 16,000 49,000
£2.01 to £3 24,000 80,000
£3.01 to £4 4,000 8,000
£4.01 to £5 8,000 35,000
More than £5* 75,000 169,000
Widows in receipt of age-related retirement pensions† 8,000
Totals 161,000 435,000‡
* A further breakdown of the numbers of pensions payable where the reduction is more than £5 is not available.
† These widows were previously in receipt of a widow's pension reduced on account of age. On retirement, they were awarded a retirement pension at the same rate. A breakdown of the rates is not available.
‡ Of the 435,000 women receiving a retirement pension at less than the standard rate, approximately 77,000 were married women in receipt of a lower rate Category B pension on their husband's contributions and approximately 358,000 were widows and divorced women in receipt of a higher rate Category B pension on their husbands contributions or women in receipt of a Category A pension on their own contributions.

Mr. Bowden

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many men and women, for reasons of inadequate or non-existent national insurance contribution records, receive no retirement pension at all between the ages of 60 or 65 years, and 80 years.

Mr. Orme

I regret that this information is not available.