HC Deb 06 February 1992 vol 203 cc240-1W
Mr. Meacher

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list all benefits payable to those with incomes over £25,000 a year; how many in this income category receive them; what is the total cost of each benefit to persons with these incomes; and what is the average value of the benefit to those above this income level.

Mr. Jack

The main social security benefits which are not income-related, and could therefore be payable, provided other criteria are met, to benefit units with incomes over £25,000 a year, are as follows:

  • Retirement pension
  • Christmas Bonus
  • Widows' Benefits
  • Unemployment Benefit1
  • Sickness Benefit
  • Statutory Sick Pay
  • Invalidity Benefit
  • Industrial Disablement Benefit
  • Industrial Death Benefit
  • Maternity Allowance
  • Statutory Maternity Pay
  • Non-contributory Retirement Pension
  • Invalid Care Allowance
  • Severe Disablement Allowance
  • Attendance Allowance2
  • Mobility Allowance
  • Child Benefit
  • One Parent Benefit
  • War Disablement Pension
  • War Widows' Pension

1 Unemployment benefit is not paid to those with earnings in excess of £52 a week, and those aged 55 or over and getting more than £35 a week under an occupational or personal pension scheme have their unemployment benefit reduced by 10p for every 10p of pension over £35.

2 Mobility allowance and attendance allowance will be replaced by disability living allowance in April 1992 for those who become disabled before aged 65.

It is not possible to give meaningful information for these benefits individually, because the sample sizes are too small to draw reliable data from. Details of claimants' incomes are not collected routinely, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.