§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentage of pensioners who are wholly dependent upon the state pension have been eligible for income support in each of the last 10 years.
§ Miss WiddecombeThis information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is Her Majesty's Government's policy towards the substitution for the state pension of income support.
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§ Miss WiddecombeIncome support provides flexible, comprehensive and effective help for people on low incomes who are not in remunerative work. It can be a supplement to, but not a substitute for retirement pension.
§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many state pensioners are entitled to income support but do not claim; and what steps his Department is currently taking to ensure that those eligible do claim.
§ Miss WiddecombeThe information requested is not currently available. Estimates for the take-up of income support will be provided when the next statistics on the take-up of income-related benefits are published. The Department makes every effort to ensure that people are able to make informed choices on whether to claim benefit.
§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on trends in the percentage of pensioners wholly dependent on the state pension who are eligible for income support.
§ Miss WiddecombeInformation on those trends is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost, but poorer pensioners generally have gained under this Government. The real net equivalent incomes of the poorest 20 per cent. have gone up on average by 15 per cent. from 1979 to 1988. The proportion of pensioners in the lowest 20 per cent of income ranges has fallen from 38 per cent. in 1979 to 28 per cent. in 1986.