HC Deb 07 March 1996 vol 273 cc353-4W
Mr. Chris Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many borrowers who have claimed income support for help with mortgages since October 1995 are currently repaying loans at a rate higher than the 5 per cent. standard rate set by his Department in October 1995; and what savings this interest rate ceiling has produced to date. [18302]

Gross Class 1 National Insurance Contributions in Great Britain at 1994–95 prices
£ billion
1994–95 2000–01 2010–11 2020–21 2030–31
(a) Employers
Current structure 26.7 33.0 40.3 46.9 52.4
(i) Extended to all earnings1 26.9 33.1 40.4 47.0 52.5
(ii) Extended to earnings below LEL1 26.9 33.1 40.4 47.0 52.5
(iii) Extended to earnings above UEL2 26.7 33.0 40.3 46.9 52.4
(b) Employees
Current structure 20.1 24.4 28.0 30.1 30.7
(i) Extended to all earnings3,4 23.1 29.6 36.1 542.0 547.0
(ii) Extended to earnings below LEL3 20.2 24.5 28.1 530.1 530.7
(iii) Extended to earnings above UEL4 23.0 29.5 36.0 42.0 47.0

Notes:

1Assumes the current 3 per cent. contribution rate would apply to earnings below the Lower Earnings Limit.

2There is no Upper Earnings Limit on employers' contributions.

3Assumes the current 2 per cent. contribution rate would apply to earnings below the Lower Earnings Limit.

4Assumes the current 10 per cent. contribution rate would apply to earnings above the Upper Earnings Limit.

5The additional yield from contributions on earnings below the Lower Earnings Limit is estimated to be negligible.

1. The figures for 2000–01 and later years are based on the assumptions contained in the "National Insurance Fund Long Term Financial Estimates" (HC160) published in January 1995. All figures exclude the effects of contracted-out rebates.

Source:

Government Actuary's Department.

Mr. Malcolm Bruce

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the number of men aged between 60 and 64 years who paid employee's national insurance contributions in the last year for which figures are available. [19496]

Mr. Heald

In the 1992–93 tax year 571,000 men' aged between 60 and 64 at 5 April 1993 paid some employee's national insurance contributions.

Notes:

Includes men who paid a mixture of class 1 employee and class 2 self-employed national insurance contributions.

Source:

1 per cent. sample of national insurance records.

Mr. Roger Evans

The standard rate applied under the income support mortgage interest scheme is 8 per cent.; prior to 28 January it was 8.39 per cent. The standard rate is applied unless the borrower's actual interest rate is less than 5 per cent. when help with mortgage interest payments begins. In such cases, that rate is used until the borrower's actual rate increases to 5 per cent. or more, at which stage, the standard rate is applied. Information on the claimant's actual interest rate is not collected when the standard rate is applied. Outturn information on savings from the introduction of the standard rate will become available when the February 1996 quarterly statistical inquiry is published.