§ Ms. CorstonTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the number of basic retirement pensioners who have a total disposable income in excess of(a) twice, (b), three times and (c) four times the basic retirement pension.[3052]
§ Mr. HealdThe information is in the table.
264WLetter from peter Mathison to Mr. Alan Howarth, dated 12 November 1996:
The secretary of state for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parlimentary Question asking, what were the amounts and types of benefit recouped by the Compensation Recovery Unit which have been reimbursed to the National Insurance Fund for (a) 1993–94 and (b)1994–95 (c)1995–96The information requested is shown in the attached table.I hope you find this reply helpful
Disposable income of pensioner units Level of disposable income Pensioner units Over two times basic retirement pension Over three times basic retirement pension Over four times basic retirement pension Pensioner couples 1,200,000 550,000 300,000 Single pensioners 1,250,000 500,000 200,000 All pensioner units 2,450,000 1,000,000 450,000 Source:
Pensioners' Incomes Series 1993, based mainly upon data from the Family Expenditure Survey 1993.
1. Estimates of numbers have been rounded to the nearest 50,000 pensioner unit. A pensioner unit is defined as being a single person over state pension age, or a couple where the husband is over state pension age. Components may not sum to the totals due to rounding.
2. Disposable income has been defined as net income before housing costs for the purpose of this analysis.
3. The level of standard rate basic retirement pension in 1993 was £54.15 for single penisioners and £86.70 for pensioner couples until April, and from then on £56.10 and £89.80 respectively. For pensioner couples, the information in the table is based upon mulltiples of the couple rate.
4. The estimates given above are calculated from the number of Family Expenditure Survey respondents who at the time of interview had a disposable income in excess of two, three or four time the standard rate basic retirement pension at that time. The calculations do not, therefore, involve deflating prices to July 1993 levels, consequently results are not directly comparable with published pensioners' Incomes Series results.