§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the total spending on the payment of pensions each year since 1979–80, the weekly payments to pensioners and the number of people over 60 years and 65 years who have claimed the retirement pension in each year during the same period.
§ Mr. MajorThe information requested is shown in the table:
756W
Year ended 5 April Total spending on pensions* (£ million) Number of new claims to retirement pension Average † weekly payments to pensioners(£) 1979/80 8,816 804,014 21.70‡ 1980/81 10,526 735,515 25.26‡ 1981/82 12,126 719,619 27.48‡ 1982/83 13,549 649,679 30.451[...] 1983/84 14,613 656,208 31.55¶ 1984/85 15,307 806,014 33.16¶ Notes * Does not include attendance allowance. † Average weekly payments to pensioners including payable additional component, graduated pension, increments, age addition, invalidity addition, attendance allowance but excluding increases for dependants, graduated pension only and non-contributory retirement pension. ‡ Average at 30 November of the previous year.
║ Average at 30 September.
¶ Average at 31 March.
Each average rate takes into account the uprating prior to the end of the tax year.