Age Allowance

HC Deb 24 October 1994 vol 248 c430W

Mr. Corbett

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would now be the level of the 25p a week age allowance for retirement pensioners adjusted in line with changes in the RPI since its introduction.

Mr. Arbuthnot

The 25p age addition to state retirement pension, paid to people who are aged over 80, was introduced in 1971. No Government have increased the age addition since its introduction. If the age addition had been increased in line with the movement in the retail prices index¹ in each year since its introduction the rate payable from April 1994 would have been £1.55².

Notes

¹The retail price index (all items) as published by the Central Statistical Office has been used.

²In each step of the calculation the notional payable rate has been rounded to the nearest 5p in line with the normal convention for the up-rating of social security benefits.