§ Mr. Nicholas BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he has any plans to amend the rule whereby the retirement pension is paid not from the day of retirement but from the first day of the week following retirement.
§ Mr. Peter LloydWe have no plans to do so. The majority of new claims for retirement pension are paid from the Monday following retirement.
§ Mr. AtkinsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the composition of(a) the pensioners prices index and (b) the retail prices index.
§ Mr. LeeI have been asked to reply.
The price indices for one—and two—person pensioner households whose incomes are mainly comprised of state benefits are based on the expenditure patterns of such households and changes in prices across the full range of goods and services, with the exception of housing.
The general index of retail prices is based on expenditure patterns of all households, excluding the pensioner households above and the 3–4 per cent. of households with the highest income, and changes in prices across the full range of goods and services including housing.
More details can be found in "A short guide to the Retail Price Index", Employment Gazette, August 1987, pp 393–406.