§ Mr. Andrew Bowdenasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many supplementary pensioners have earnings of over £4 a week; and if he will calculate the cost of raising the disregard for pensioners to (a) £8, (b) £10 and (c) £11.40.
§ Dr. Boyson[pursuant to his reply, 6 February 1984, c. 509]: 9,000 supplementary pensioners and 1,000 wives of supplementary pensioners had earnings of over £4 a week at December 1982, the latest date for which information is available. The cost of raising the earnings disregards for these pensioners would be as follows:
Level of disregard Cost £ £ million 8.00 1.4 10.00 1.9 11.40 2.1 Source: Annual Statistical Enquiry.
To the extent that raising the disregard levels brought more pensioners on to supplementary benefit, there would be a further cost but it is not possible to make a reliable estimate of what this would be.