§ Mr. LidingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the latest information held about pensioners' income; and if he will make a statement.
§ 2. Mr. LilleyI have today published the latest information, which is for 1992. The figures show that, on average, pensioners' total net income has risen by 50 per cent. over inflation since 1979; or 58 per cent. after housing costs have been deducted. In particular, the amount that pensioners receive from occupational pensions has increased by an average of 62 per cent., to an average weekly amount of nearly £72.
203WFurther details are in the table.
Table 1: The average incomes of pensioner units by source, 1974–1992 Average income Growth Average income from each source as a percentage of total income £per week. July 1992 prices Per cent. Per cent. Income source 1974 1979 1992 1974–79 1979–92 1974 1979 1992 (a) Pensioner Couples Earnings 32.10 26.10 20.50 -19 -22 21 16 9 Benefit Income 77.80 87.70 107.10 13 22 50 53 45 Investment Income 18.40 17.50 49.90 -5 186 12 11 21 Occupational Pension 27.00 32.60 66.10 21 102 17 20 28 Other Income 0.10 0.90 1.40 819 61 * 1 1 Total Gross Income 155.70 164.80 237.80 6 44 100 100 100 Deductions 22.20 23.80 31.60 7 33 14 14 13 Total Net Income1 133.50 141.00 206.20 6 46 86 86 87 Total Net Income AHC2 116.60 122.20 190.70 5 56 n/a n/a n/a (b) Single Pensioners Earnings 8.10 5.90 5.10 -27 -14 10 7 4 Benefit Income 51.80 58.00 70.80 12 22 64 69 56 Investment Income 12.00 9.30 25.20 -23 172 15 11 20 Occupational Pension 8.70 10.10 24.50 16 142 11 12 19 Other Income 0.10 0.60 0.70 326 29 * 1 1 Total Gross Income 81.30 83.90 126.40 3 51 100 100 100 Deductions 10.80 17.00 1700 -5 65 13 12 13 Total Net Income3 70.50 73.60 109.40 4 49 87 88 87 Total Net Income AHC 59.10 60.70 93.00 3 53 n/a n/a n/a (c) All Pensioner Units Earnings 16.40 12.90 10.90 -22 -16 15 12 6 Benefit Income 60.80 68.20 84.40 12 24 57 61 50 Investment Income 14.20 12.10 34.50 -15 185 13 11 21 Occupational Income 15.10 17.90 40.00 19 123 14 16 24 Other Income 0.10 0.70 100 459 46 * 1 1 Total Gross Income 107.10 111.80 168.10 4 50 100 100 100 Deductions 14.70 14.90 22.40 1 50 14 13 13 Total Net Income5 92.40 96.90 145.60 5 50 86 87 87 Total Net Income AHC6 79.00 81.90 129.50 4 58 n/a n/a n/a 1 Median net income, at 1992 prices, was £107.60 in 1974, £111.80 in 1979 and £162.90 in 1992. 2 Median net income after housing costs, at 1992 prices, was £103.20 in 1974, £97.90 in 1979 and £145.80 in 1992. 3 Median net income, at 1992 prices, was £60.70 in 1974, £66.80 in 1979 and £86.30 in 1992. 4 Median net income after housing costs, at 1992 pricess, was £48.70 in 1974, £52.10 in 1979 and £62.80 in 1992. 5 Median net income, at 1992 prices, was £65.60 in 1974, £68.40 in 1979 and £93.50 in 1992. 6 Median net income after housing costs, at 1992 prices, was £5000 in 1974, £62.00 in 1979 and £76.40 in 1992. Notes:
1. Components may not sum to totals owing to rounding.
*denotes a figure of less than 0.5 per cent.
3. All average amounts are means unless otherwise stated.
4. All figures are before housing costs unless otherwise stated.
5. Pensioner units are defined as single people over state pension age and couples in which the husband is over state pension age.
6. "1990–91" denotes estimates from the combined sample for 1990–91. One quarter of the 1991 Family Expenditure Survey sample has been omitted because of problems in the collection of information on Community Charge payment following the delayed issue of bills in April 1991. As a result the sample size in that year is too small to provide reliable estimates of pensioner's incomes. For this reason the remaining date for 1991 has been combined with that for 1990.
7. "n/a" means Not Applicable.
204W
Table 2: Proportion of pensioner units with investment income and the average amount for those in receipt Percentage of units with investment income Average amount for those in receipt (£ per week, 1992 prices) Percentage growth in average amount since 1979 1974 1979 1992 1974 1979 1992 1992 (a) All pensioner units Pensioner couples 58 71 84 31.70 24.50 59.70 144 Single pensioners 49 57 71 24.40 16.40 35.60 117 All pensioner units 52 62 76 27.20 19.70 45.60 132 (b) Recently retired pensioner units Pensioner couples 60 73 83 32.10 26.00 73.50 182 Single pensioners 54 60 67 20.40 15.20 51.20 236 All pensioner units 58 68 77 28.30 22.00 65.80 199 Copies of this reply will be placed in the Library.
205WNotes:
1. Recently retired pensioner units are defined as: women aged 60–64; single men aged 65–69; and couples in which the husband is aged 65–69.
2. All average amounts are means.
Table 3: Proportion of pensioner units with occupational pension and the average amount for those in receipt Percentage of units with occupational pension A verage amount for those in receipt (£ per week, 1992 prices Percentage growth in average amount since 1979 1974 1979 1992 1974 1979 1992 1992 (a) All pensioner units Pensioner couples 53 65 72 51.30 52.80 92.20 75 Single Pensioners 24 32 46 37.20 35.00 52.90 51 All pensioner units 34 43 56 44.80 44.40 71.80 62 (b) Recently retired pensioner units Pensioner couples 53 68 73 56.20 62.10 100.30 62 Single pensioners 24 37 47 46.40 37.70 71.70 90 All pensioner units 43 55 63 54.30 55.30 91.90 66 Notes:
1. Estimates of the percentage of pensioner units in receipt of occupational pension income are based upon data from the Family Expenditure Survey and the GAD Survey of Occupational Pension Schemes. Due to this use of additional information, it is not possible to derive the overall average occupational receipt from the estimates in this table.
2. Recently retired pensioner units are defined as: single women aged 60–64; single men aged 65–69; and couples in which the husband is aged 65–69.
3. All average amounts are means.