§ Mr. Meacherasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will indicate by how much each pension uprating over the last three years has, in the event, deviated from the forecast of inflation made at the time; and what action was taken on each occasion to remedy the discrepancy.
§ Mrs. ChalkerDetails of the percentage increase in pensions at the 1977, 1978 and 1979 uprating are set out below, together with the increases in the general index of retail prices and the index of average earnings over the period since the previous uprating.
125W
Date of uprating Single pension increase since previous uprating RPI increase since previous uprating Index of average earnings (whole economy) increase since previous uprating per cent. per cent. per cent. November 1977 14.4 13.0 8.6 November 1978 11.4 8.1 13.3 November 1979 19.5 17.4 19.1 With the exception of the 1978 uprating, no action was taken in respect of the difference between the increases in pension and that in the appropriate index. In 1979, the increase in pensions took account of the 1.9 per cent. shortfall in the 1978 increase in pensions compared with earnings.