Poverty (Hansard, 28 February 1994)

§ 29. Mr. Mackinlay
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the Government's assessment of the extent and scale of poverty prevailing in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Burt
Statistics on patterns of household disposable income, for the United Kingdom are provided in "Households Below Average Income 1979–1990/91", published in June 1993, a copy of which is in the Library.

§ 30. Mr. French
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioner households were in the bottom decile of income distribution in 1979 and in the latest year for which figures are available.

§ Mr. Hague
The information is in the table:

Numbers of pensioner families with incomes in the bottom decile of income distribution (000s)

1979 1990–91

Before housing costs

Couples 510 290

Single 890 620

All 1,400 910

After housing costs

Couples 550 160

Single 580 290

All 1,200 450

Notes:
1. Estimates are based on the Family Expenditure Surveys, rounded to nearest 10,000.
2. Numbers relate to pensioner benefit units.

Numbers of pensioner families with incomes in the bottom decile of income distribution (000s)
	1979	1990–91
Before housing costs
Couples	510	290
Single	890	620
All	1,400	910
After housing costs
Couples	550	160
Single	580	290
All	1,200	450