Pensioners (Hansard, 16 October 1996)

§ Mr. Ainger
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security in what ways his Department takes account of the needs of pensioner households mainly dependent on benefits when uprating the old age pension. [41009]

§ Mr. Burt
Current legislation provides for the annual uprating of the state pension in line with the rise in prices. In this way, we have maintained the value of the state pension to provide a solid foundation for retirement at a time of strong pressure on public spending.

§ Mr. Ainger
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioners were solely dependent on their old age pension and means-tested benefits in each of the last five years. [41000]

§ Mr. Burt
The information is in the table.
The table shows estimates of the number and proportion of pensioner couples, single pensioners and all pensioner units who are solely dependent upon income from state retirement pension and income-related benefits.
1025W

Pensioner units 1989 1990 1990–91 1992 1993

Single pensioners 790,000 (18 per cent.) 740,000 (17 per cent.) 700,000 (16 per cent.) 670,000 (15 per cent.) 500,000 (11 per cent.)

Pensioner couples 80,000 (3 per cent.) 180,000 (7 per cent.) 150,000 (6 per cent.) 140,000 (5 per cent. 120,000 (4 per cent.)

All pensioner units 880,000 (13 per cent.) 920,000 (13 per cent.) 860,000 (12 per cent.) 800,000 (11 per cent.) 610,000 (9 per cent.)

Source:
The Pensioners' Incomes Series (based upon data from the Family Expenditure Surveys).
Notes:
1. Income-related benefits include housing benefit, income support and benefits to pay for local taxes (i.e. rate rebate, community charge benefit and council tax benefit). The Christmas bonus has also been included.
2. All estimates of numbers are shown to the nearest 10,000 pensioner units. A pensioner unit is defined as being either a single person aged over state pension age, or a couple where the head, or husband, is aged over SPA. Percentage estimates are shown to the nearest whole percentile.
3. The Pensioners Income Series gives single calendar estimates. However in 1991 one quarter of the family expenditure survey sample was omitted because of problems following the delayed issue of community charge bills in April 1991. As a result the sample size in that year it too small to provide sufficiently reliable estimates of pensioners' incomes. For this reason the remaining data for 1991 have combined with that for 1990 to produce estimates for the combined calendar years 1990 and 1991.

Pensioner units	1989	1990	1990–91	1992	1993
Single pensioners	790,000 (18 per cent.)	740,000 (17 per cent.)	700,000 (16 per cent.)	670,000 (15 per cent.)	500,000 (11 per cent.)
Pensioner couples	80,000 (3 per cent.)	180,000 (7 per cent.)	150,000 (6 per cent.)	140,000 (5 per cent.	120,000 (4 per cent.)
All pensioner units	880,000 (13 per cent.)	920,000 (13 per cent.)	860,000 (12 per cent.)	800,000 (11 per cent.)	610,000 (9 per cent.)