HC Deb 15 April 1994 vol 241 cc306-11W
Mr. Bowden

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make an analysis for each quintile of pensioner incomes for single pensioners, pensioner couples and all pensioner units similar to that published on 7 May 1993,Official Report, columns 294-98, using the most recent family expenditure survey figures available.

Mr. Hague

The information is in the tables.

(d) Growth in pensioner income 1979 to 1990–91
Average income change (per cent.)
Quintile 1 Quintile 2 Quintile 3
Income source Single Pensioners Pensioner couples Pensioner units Single Pensioners Pensioner couples Pensioner units Single Pensioners Pensioner couples Pensioner units
Earnings1 -67 -33 150 183 33 35 54 29 115
Benefit income 9 10 11 12 15 13 19 17 19
Investment income 48 97 35 100 141 104 102 249 184
Occupational pension 163 124 399 181 95 99 151 60 125
Other1 -50 -58 22 265 -15 100 49 -50 -2
Gross income 11 16 20 21 25 20 29 34 35
Deductions 33 120 -11 61 145 88 78 112 98
Net income BHC2 9 10 27 18 18 19 22 30 25
Net income AHC2 8 15 22 13 20 15 14 38 30

Quintile 4 Quintile 5 Total
Income source Single Pensioners Pensioner couple Pensioner units Single Pensioners Pensioner couples Pensioner units Single Pensioners Pensioner couples Pensioner units
Earnings1 -27 -25 -6 2 -19 -12 -1 -17 -9
Benefit income 17 17 25 22 22 19 16 16 17
Investment income 139 297 205 166 158 172 151 179 170
Occupational pension 175 71 113 94 85 90 115 80 98
Other1 -26 11 -32 140 162 196 51 19 37
Gross income 40 41 49 68 55 62 42 41 44
Deductions 74 61 88 61 32 47 62 53 60
Net income BHC2 34 38 51 62 52 50 339 339 342
Net income AHC2 44 48 68 76 66 65 349 353 354
N.B. means given for total income growth.
1 Indicates that sample sizes are too small to provide reliable estimates. Figures are shown only to demonstrate how totals are arrived at.
2 Median.
3 Mean.

Notes:

  1. 1. All figures before housing costs—BHC—unless otherwise stated. After housing costs—AHC.
  2. 2. All average amounts are means except where otherwise stated.
  3. 3. Components may not sum to totals owing to rounding.
  4. 4. Pensioner units are defined as single people over state pension age and couples in which the husband is over state pension age.
  5. 5. Estimates of percentage growth are based on unrounded income figures and may not therefore be the same as those calculated from the rounded amounts shown in the table.
  6. 6. Estimates of growth in total net incomes by quintile are based on medians. Estimates of growth of components of income and total incomes of all pensioners are based on means.

Table 2
Investment Income for Pensioner Units of all Ages
Quintile (Q1=lowest) Percentage of units in receipt Average amount for those in receipt (£ per week)
1979 1990–91 1979 1990–91 Percentage growth
(a) Pensioner Couples
Q1 68 7.3 n/a
Q2 61.5 75 4.8 10.9 n/a
Q3 67.8 84 7.9 22.4 182
Q4 75.3 91 13.1 43.3 230
Q5 89.9 98 66.7 157.5 136
All 71.2 83 22.7 54.1 138
Single Pensioners
Q1 49 64 3.9 4.4 14
Q2 49 59 4.1 6.8 67
Q3 45 64 5.0 7.0 41
Q4 62 77 10.3 19.9 93
Q5 78 92 39.0 88.6 127
All 57 71 15.2 30.3 100
(c) All Pensioner Units
Q1 52 65 4.0 5.5 36
Q2 55 64 4.6 8.1 75
Q3 50 71 5.6 11.3 103
Q4 68 83 11.5 28.8 151
Q5 83 95 49.4 116.7 136
All 62 76 18.2 40.1 120

Table 3
Investment Income for Recently Retired Pensioner Units
Quintile (Q1 = lowest) Percentage of units in receipt Average amount for those in receipt (£ per week)
1979 1990–91 1979 1990–91 Percentage growth
(a) Pensioner Couple
Q1 n/a
Q2 70 12.8 n/a
Q3 65 6.6 n/a
Q4 88 37.5 n/a
Q5 84 100 44.7 152.6 n/a
All 73 83 24.1 56.8 136
(b) Single Pensioners
Q1 n/a
Q2 n/a
Q3 53 4.6 n/a
Q4 n/a
Q5 89 57.7 n/a
All 61 72 14.1 39.0 177
(c) All Pensioner Units
Q1
Q2 53.1 59 4.7 8.7 87
Q3 72 13.5 n/a
Q4 72.1 87 11.8 27.8 n/a
Q5 88.2 94 53.6 107.4 100
All 68 78 20.4 49.9 145

Table 4
Occupational Pension for Pensioner Units of All Ages
Quintile(Q1 = lowest) Percentage of units in receipt Average amount for those in receipt (£ per week)
1979 1990–91 1979 1990–91 Percentage growth
(a) Pensioner Couple
Q1 37 14.7 n/a
Q2 45 62 10.2 21.4 n/a
Q3 73 74 24.2 38.5 59
Q4 75 82 47.1 73.9 57
Q5 70 88 127.3 186.7 47
All 62 68 48.9 79.4 62
(b) Single Pensioners
Q1 n/a
Q2 27 12.0 n/a
Q3 17 44 10.8 17.4 n/a
Q4 41 61 18.1 33.2 83
Q5 55 69 62.6 96.1 53
All 29 46 32.4 44.3 37
(c) All Pensioner Units
Q1 25 12.0 n/a
Q2 25 43 9.7 16.5 n/a
Q3 35 56 17.0 24.0 41
Q4 55 68 28.9 49.9 73
Q5 62 78 90.3 136.6 51
All 40 54 41.1 60.8 48

Table 5
Occupational Pension for Recently Retired Pensioner Units
Quintile (Q1= lowest) Percentage of units in receipt Average amount for those in receipt (£ per week)
1979 1990–91 1979 1990–91 Percentage growth
(a) Pensioner Couple
Q1 n/a
Q2 51 23.8 n/a
Q3 57 23.3 n/a
Q4 82 64.3 n/a
Q5 70 87 99.7 184.0 n/a
All 62 70 57.5 82.2 43
(b) Single Pensioners
Q1 n/a
Q2 n/a
Q3 n/a
Q4 n/a
Q5 n/a
All 33 49 34.9 24.8 29
(c) All Pensioners
Q1 n/a
Q2 36 18.2 n/a
Q3 42 57 20.2 28.7 n/a
Q4 76 53.2 n/a
Q5 62 78 83.3 128.2 n/a
All 50 61 51.2 71.6 40

Notes to tables 2 to 5:

  1. 1. Pensioner units are defined as single people over state pension age and couples in which the husband is over state pension age.
  2. 2. A Recently Retired pensioner unit is defined as a single pensioner aged less than five years above SPA or a pensioner couple where the husband is aged less than five years above SPA.
  3. 3. Where boxes have been joined together this signifies that due to low numbers of sample cases, an estimate has to be given for a number of combined quartiles.
  4. 4. All amounts are given at January 1991 prices.
  5. 5. Tables 1 and 3 are based on the separate income distributions for single pensioners, pensioner couples and all pensioner units respectively. Tables 2 and 4 are based on separate income distributions for recently-retired single pensioners, pensioner couples and all pensioner units respectively.