§ 18. Mr. GallieTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioner households were in the bottom decile of the income distribution in 1979, and in the latest year for which figures are available.
§ Mr. HagueThe most recent information is given in the table. The figures are counts of pensioners, not pensioner households, with a pensioner couple counting as two. Figures are given both in terms of before housing costs—BHC—and after housing costs—AHC.
§ Mr. BowdenTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of pensioners received at least 50 per cent. of their income from state benefits in the latest year for which figures are available.
§ Mr. HagueThe percentage of pensioners receiving 50 per cent. or more of their income from state benefits is as follows:
- Pensioner couples: 61 per cent.
- Single pensioners: 76 per cent.
- All pensioners: 70 per cent.
Source: Information from combined 1990 and 1991 Family Expenditure Surveys covering period 1990-91.
Note 1: "Pensioner couples" are couples where the husband is over state pension age.
Note 2: "All pensioners" are single people over state pension age and couples where the husband is over state pension age.
§ Mr. BowdenTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the value of the basic state retirement pension for(a) a single pensioner and (b) a pensioner couple in 1979 and at each uprating since 1979; and what it would have been if it had been uprated in line with whichever was the higher of average earnings or prices.
§ Mr. HagueThe information is in the table.
111W
Rate of basic retirement pension Actual rates If increased by the higher of earnings/prices Single £ per week Couple £ per week Single £ per week Couple £ per week November 1979 23.30 37.30 — — November 1980 27.15 43.45 27.60 44.20 November 1981 29.60 47.35 30.90 49.50 November 1982 32.85 52.55 33.50 53.65 November 1983 34.05 54.50 36.40 58.30 November 1984 35.80 57.30 38.25 61.25 November 1985 38.30 61.30 41.60 66.60 July 1986 38.70 61.95 43.45 69.55 April 1987 39.50 63.25 45.90 73.45 April 1988 41.15 65.90 49.50 79.20 April 1989 43.60 69.80 54.15 86.65 April 1990 46.90 75.10 59.40 95.05 April 1991 52.00 83.25 65.85 105.40 April 1992 54.15 86.70 71.05 113.70 April 1993 56.10 89.80 74.55 119.30
§ Mr. BowdenTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much the state pension for(a) single pensioners and (b) pensioner couples would have been in April had the pension been uprated in line with the higher of retail prices index or earnings since 1980.
§ Mr. BowdenTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his best estimate of the number and
Thousands £ per week Up to 100 100-150 150-200 200-250 250-350 Over 350 Pensioner couples Number 285 9,655 470 309 270 318 Pensioner Couples-Proportions Percentage 11 37 18 12 10 12
Thousands £ per week Up to 100 100-150 150-200 200-300 Over 300 Single Pensioners Number 3,023 692 296 233 173 Percentage 68 16 7 5 4 Note: Numbers are rounded to the nearest thousand.
Source: Combined 1990 and 1991 Family Expenditure Surveys.
§ Mr. BowdenTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was(a) the mean and (b) the median income of (i) single pensioners and (ii) pensioner couples, before and after housing costs, in 1990–91.
Mean net income £ per week Median net income £ per week Single pensioners Pensioner couples Single pensioners Pensioner couples Before Housing costs 94.80 181.20 75.20 138.60 After Housing costs 82.50 170.90 54.40 123.20 Note: Pensioner couples consist of couples where the husband is over state pension age.
Source: Combined 1990 and 1991 Family Expenditure Surveys covering period 1990–91.
112Wproportion of (a) single pensioners and (b) pensioner couples who have total gross weekly incomes of (i) £0 to £50, (ii) £50 to £100, (iii) £100 to £150, (iv) £150 to £200, (v) £200 to £250, (vi) £250 to £300, (vii) £300 to £350, (viii) £350 to £400, (ix) £400 to £450, (x) £450 to £500 and (xi) £500 and above.
§ Mr. HagueThe information is in the tables. To allow a reliable number of sample cases to be taken into account certain ranges of the distribution have been merged in order to ensure estimates are based on at least 100 cases. The estimates are liable to error.