§ Mr. Stallardasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his latest estimate of the number of pensioners with an income of less than 40 per cent. above supplementary benefit level.
§ Mr. NewtonThe only readily available estimates relate to families where the head is over pension age, and single persons over pension age. In 1979 there were in Great Britain 1,680,000 such families and single persons in receipt of supplementary benefit and a further 2,850,000 not in receipt of supplementary benefit, but with incomes less than 40 per cent. above the supplementary benefit level.
These estimates have been rounded to the nearest 10,000 and are subject to statistical error. The estimate of 1,680,000 has been derived from the "Annual Statistical Enquiry" of supplementary benefit claimants. The estimate of 2,850,000 has been based on a DHSS analysis of income and other information recorded by respondents to the family expenditure survey 1979.
The estimates relate only to people living in private households. People in institutions are not included in the FES sample. The figure for supplementary benefit claimants has been so adjusted as to be based on similar assumptions.
Income refers to net income, less net housing costs and work expenses where appropriate. The supplementary benefit level has been taken as the appropriate long-term scale rate, with heating additions for people of 75 years and over, and children under five, where the head is a householder.
The estimate of 2,850,000 includes examples where the head of the family had been off work due to sickness or 190W unemployment for less than 13 weeks at the time of the survey. In these cases, the family's normal income when the head was in work has been used in determining the level of income. Correspondingly, the figure derived from the "Annual Statistical Enquiry" excludes those who had been in receipt of supplementary benefit for less than 13 weeks.