§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his estimate of the number of people over retirement age(a) who receive a retirement pension at a reduced rate and (b) who receive no retirement pension at all because they have failed through incapacity 189W to work to satisfy the relevant contribution conditions; and what would be the cost at 1980–81 benefit rates of extending entitlement to a full rate basic pension to these groups.
§ Mr. RossiIt is estimated that there are 520,000 people receiving a basic national insurance retirement pension at a reduced rate because of deficient contributions records and that the extra cost of paying them full-rate basic pensions, after taking account of some savings on supplementary pensions, would be about £120 million a year. It is, however, not known how many of these people failed to satisfy the relevant contribution conditions because of incapacity to work nor how many people receive no pension on these grounds. However, a person who is incapable of work is normally credited with contributions to protect his entitlement to basic retirement pension and other benefits.