HC Deb 18 January 1988 vol 145 c241W
Mr. Andrew Bowden

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many retirement pensioners (i) aged 65 to 79 years and (ii) aged 80 years and over both pay income tax and receive housing benefit.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

The latest available information is as follows:

  1. (i) 130,000
  2. (ii) 30,000

Source: Family Expenditure Survey 1986.

Notes:

  1. 1.Based on the "Impact of the reformed structure of Income Related Benefits" published in October 1987 and adjusted to take account of the 1988 Budget.
  2. 2.Married and unmarried couples count as one unit.

Mrs. Beckett

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what number and what proportion of pensioner households are in receipt of (i) occupational pension payments, (ii) income support, (iii) housing benefit and (iv) income support and housing benefit.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

[holding answer 5 December 1988]: The latest information, taken from the family expenditure survey, indicates that in 1986 approximately 3.4 million (50 per cent.) pensioner tax units' were in receipt of occupational pension payments. The May 1988 Quarterly Statistical Enquiry indicates that approximately 1.7 million pensioners2 were in receipt of income support. The latest information for housing benefit is for autumn 1987 when the estimated total number of pensioner households3 in receipt of benefit was 3.8 million which included 1.3 million who were also receiving supplementary benefit. Up to date information is not available to enable income support or housing benefit recipients to be shown as a proportion of all pensioners households.

  1. 1 A pensioner tax unit—a single person of pensionable age, or a married couple where the head is of pensionable age.
  2. 2 Pensioners receiving income support are defined as those in receipt of a pensioner premium.
  3. 3 A pensioner household—a single household of pensionable age or a married couple where at least one of the partners is of pensionable age.