HC Deb 16 December 1982 vol 34 cc247-8W
Sir Frederic Bennett

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the estimated cost to the Exchequer of reducing the age of retirement for males from 65 to 60 years, in terms of their resultant relevant pension.

Mr. Rossi

At 1981–82 average benefit levels the net cost to central Government of this change is estimated to be £2.5 billion. This is made up of extra expenditure of

Number of Home Helps (whole time equivalent)
As at 30 September 1979 As at 30 September 1981 Difference
Northern Region
Non-metropolitan Counties
Cleveland 448.0 450.0 +2.0
Cumbria 434.0 446.7 +12.7
Durham 800.1 829.0 +28.9
Northumberland 383.3 425.3 +42.0
Metropolitan County—Tyne and Wear
Gateshead 344.0 333.0 -11.0
Newcastle upon Tyne 668.0 658.5 -9.5
North Tyneside 238.5 246.5 +8.0
South Tyneside * *
Sunderland 590.7 441.0 -149.7
Yorkshire and Humberside Region
Non-metropolitan Counties
Humberside 908.9 1,013.2 + 104.3
North Yorkshire * *
Metropolitan CountySouth Yorkshire
Barnsley 345.0 354.5 +9.5
Doncaster 375.1 498.6 + 123.5
Rotherham 372.1 374.0 + 1.9
Sheffield 859.0 941.9 +82.9
Metropolitan CountyWest Yorkshire
Bradford 592.0 556.0 -36.0
Calderdale 237.8 278.0 +40.2
Kirklees 440.0 443.0 +3.0
Leeds 769.5 833.6 +64.1
Wakefield 396.0 372.2 -23.8
North Western Region
Non-metropolitan Counties
Cheshire 730.4 751.7 +21.3
Lancashire 1,364.9 1,414.0 +49.1
Metropolitan CountyGreater Manchester
Bolton 330.0 321.0 -9.0
Bury 167.0 164.0 -3.0
Manchester * 699.3
Oldham 369.0 360.0 -9.0
Rochdale 306.5 322.0 + 15.5
Salford 306.5 329.5 +23.0
Stockport 292.7 281.0 -11.7
Tameside 371.8 298.6 -73.2
Trafford * 247.5
Wigan 365.8 460.0 +94.2
Metropolitan CountyMerseyside
Knowsley 204.3 170.0 -34.3
Liverpool * *
Sefton 310.0 330.0 +20.0
St. Helens 360.0 380.0 +20.0
Wirral 288.5 297.1 +8.6

£3.05 billion in retirement pensions and £0.365 billion in lost contribution and tax revenue, offset by savings of £0.75 billion in other national insurance benefits and £0.18 billion in supplementary benefits. Alternative costings, assuming no job replacement on retirement, or that all retirement vacancies were filled from the register, are set out on pages 14 and 15 and pages 407 to 409 of volume II of the Third Report from the Social Services Committee on the Age of Retirement, Session 1981–82, HMSO 1982.

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