§ Lord Rixasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Hollis of Heigham on 9 June (WA 169), what is the relationship between 46,000 cases of people claiming incapacity benefit and receiving a pension income of £200 per week or more and her statement that "Around 100,000 of those who get a pension get one of more than £230 a week, with incapacity benefit of £66 a week paid on top" (10 June, H.L. Deb., col. 1565). [HL3143]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Social Security (Baroness Hollis of Heigham)£230 is just below the average amount of pension income for all those incapacity benefit recipients with a pension of £150 a week or more. Below is a slightly revised version of the table provided on 9 June (WA 169), together with a further table setting out the averages. The tables show that there are 90,000 people, nearly 100,000, with a pension of £150 a week or more and £232 on average. The other income of people in this group, including incapacity benefit, averages £148, so their total average income is in fact £380 a week, not counting any income their partners may have.
41WA
Levels of Occupational & Personal Pensions for Incapacity Benefit Recipients 1996–97 Occupational & Personal Pension Income (£ per week) Number of Recipients 0 1,120,000 less than £25 120,000 £25 to £49.99 110,000 £50 to £74.99 110,000 £75 to £99.99 90,000 £100 to £124.99 40,000 £125 to £149.99 40,000 £150 to £199.99 50,000 £200 or more 40,000 All IB recipients 1,170,00
Average Occupational & Personal Pension Incomes for Incapacity Benefit Recipients with Non-State Pension Incomes 1996–97 Recipients with Occupational and Personal pensions greater than Number of recipients Average gross Occupational and Personal pension income (£ per week) £0 600,000 85 £50 370,000 122 £100 170,000 180 £150 90,000 232 Notes
1. All estimates are based on data from the 1996–97 Family Resources Survey and are in gross 1996–97 prices.
2. Estimates are based on sample counts that have been adjusted for non-response. Estimates are subject to sampling error and to variability in non-response.