§ Mr. PawseyTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioners he anticipates will benefit by the abolition of the earnings rule; and what he estimates will be the annual average financial benefit to those pensioners.
§ Mrs. Gillian ShephardIt is expected that approximately 400,000 pensioners will benefit from the abolition of the pension earnings rule from 1 October: those who deferred their entitlement and continued working, those whose entitlement was reduced by earnings over £75 per week and those who earned less than £75. In addition, all future pensioners will have the freedom to choose to continue working and claim their pension. It is not possible to estimate the average financial benefit as this will vary according to each individuals circumstances.