§ Mr. Raynsfordasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a table showing the annual change in the net disposable income of (a) all pensioners and (b) pensioners in receipt of supplementary pension (i) before taking account of housing costs and (ii) after taking housing costs into account over the period 1970 to 1986.
§ Mr. Lyell[pursuant to his reply, 3 March 1987, c. 586]: Information is not as yet, readily available for the period requested prior to 1973 and no separate information is available for pensioners in receipt of supplementary pensions. For all pensioners average net total income increased between 1973 and 1974 by 6.2 per cent.; for the period from 1974–79 it increased at an annual rate of 0.6 per cent.; and from 1979–85, the latest period for which figures are available, it increased at an annual rate of 2.7 per cent. The above figures include increases in the incomes of non-householders.
After taking housing costs into account the net incomes of those pensioners who are householders increased by 4.1 per cent. between 1973 and 1974; 0.4 per cent. a year over the period 1974–79; and 2.4 per cent. a year over the period 1979–85.