HC Deb 10 March 1999 vol 327 cc252-3W
Mr. Webb

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 8 February 1999,Official Report, column 68, on pensioner incomes, if the information requested is now available. [75028]

Mr. Timms

The information requested is now available and is in the tables.

Pensioners receiving a means-tested benefit and not paying income tax
Thousand
Single male pensioners Single female pensioners Pensioner couples All pensioner benefit units
60–64 90 100 170 360
65–69 70 220 200 490
70–74 70 300 150 520
75–79 80 330 140 550
80+ 100 550 130 770
Total 400 1,500 790 2,690
Pensioners not receiving a means-tested benefit and not paying income tax
Thousand
Single male pensioners Single female pensioners Pensioner couples All pensioner benefit units
60–64 20 20 90 130
65–69 40 70 190 290
70–74 30 130 250 400
75–79 40 130 190 360
80+ 50 190 150 390
Total 170 540 870 1,580
Pensioners not receiving a means-tested benefit and paying income tax
Thousand
Single male pensioners Single female pensioners Pensioner couples All pensioner benefit units
60–64 110 160 910 1,180
65–69 120 220 590 930
70–74 100 240 420 760
75–79 80 190 190 450
80+ 90 190 130 400
Total 490 990 2,240 3,720

Pensioners receiving a means-tested benefit and paying income tax
Thousand
Single male pensioners Single female pensioners Pensioner couples All pensioner benefit units
60–64 20 40 50 100
65–69 20 30 20 80
70–74 20 50 10 80
75–79 20 30 * 50
80+ 20 50 10 70
Total 90 200 90 390

Notes:

1. Figures are given to the nearest 10,000 pensioner benefit units, although they are not necessarily accurate to that degree. Figures of less than 5,000 pensioners are denoted by'*'.

2. Figures may not sum to row or column totals due to rounding.

3. Figures should be treated with caution since taxpaying status is not directly measured by the Family Resources Survey, but has been imputed using a model based on policies announced up to and including the 1998 budget statement.

4. Pensioner benefit units are defined as single people and couples (married or cohabiting) where at least one partner is aged over 59. Couples are allocated to age bands according to the age of the older partner.

5. Taxpaying pensioner benefit units are defined as those where at least one individual in the benefit unit is modelled as liable to income tax.

Source:

Family Resources Survey 1996–97