HC Deb 15 December 1992 vol 216 cc149-51W
Mr. Knox

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish figures for the latest date available showing for people above state pension ages, the number of(a) husbands, (b) wives, (c) single men and (d) single women, with weekly incomes excluding national insurance benefit, income support, family credit, housing benefit and community charge benefit as appropriate, in the following income bands (a) under £5, (b) £5 to £10, (c) £10 to £15, (d) £15 to £20, (e) £20 to £30, (f) £30 to £40, (g) £40 to £50, (h) £50 to £60, (i) £60 to £70, (j) £70 to £80, (k) £80 to £90, (l) £90 to £100, (m) £100 to £150, (n) £150 to £200, (o) £200 to £300, (p) £300 to £400, (q) £400 to £500 and (r) over £500 respectively.

Miss Widdecombe

Information is not available in the form requested. The requested distribution was in some cases too detailed to give a reliable number of sample cases to be taken into account. Certain ranges have therefore been merged in order to ensure estimates are based on at least 20 sample cases. In addition, the nature of the survey techniques used in the family expenditure survey means that the separate incomes of husbands and wives within a couple cannot be identified reliably. The answer therefore categorises single people (male and female) and couples only. The available information is in the table.

Weekly non-benefit income distribution-pensioners Single female pensioners
Income (£) Thousands
0–5 1,725
5–10 269
10–15 215
15–20 176
20–30 235
30–40 156
40–50 110
50–60 86
60–70 70
70–80 77
80–100 111
100–200 237
200+ 79

Single male pensioners
Income (£) Thousands
0–5 356
5–10 63
10–20 101
20–40 114
40–60 58
60–90 73
90–150 61
150+ 63

Couples (husband over pension age)
Income (£) Thousands
0–5 422
5–10 165
10–15 191
15–20 132
20–30 198
30–40 126
40–50 138
50–60 104
60–70 78
70–80 84

Income (£) Thousands
80–90 69
90–100 66
100–150 246
150–200 162
200–300 126
300–400 99
400+ 105

Source: Family Expenditure Survey 1988.