HC Deb 24 May 1999 vol 332 cc54-5W
Mr. Webb

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the proportion of single pensioners aged 80 years or above who are currently in receipt of income support; and if he will provide corresponding estimates for(a) 1994, (b) 1989, (c) 1984, (d) 1979, (e) 1974 and (f) 1969. [84758]

Mr. Timms

Information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table.

Single supplementary benefit/income support pensioners aged 80 and over 1974 to 1998
Year Total claimants Proportion of population Percentage
1974 335,000 25.4
1979 351,000 24.4
1984 434,000 25.4
1989 407,000 20.1
1994 531,000 23.4
1998 617,000 26.7

Notes:

  1. 1. Pensioner refers to single claimants only, aged 80 and over.
  2. 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand cases, percentages to one decimal place and are subject to a degree of sampling error.
  3. 3. Income Support replaced Supplementary Benefit in April 1988.
  4. 4. Numbers are given at a point in time. For 1974 and 1979 the month was November. For 1984 the month was December, and from 1989–1998 the month was May.
  5. 5. Population figures are based on total population (regardless of marital status) aged 80 years and over.
  6. 6. Proportion of population percentages have been calculated using the relevant year of mid-term population estimates, apart from 1998 when mid-term 1997 population estimates were used.
  7. 7. Sample sizes: 1974: Supplementary Pension cases 1 in 160; 1979: Supplementary Pension cases 1 in 200; 1984: Supplementary Pension cases 1 in 200; 1989: 1 in 100; 1994 to date: 1 in 20.

Sources:

  1. 1. Supplementary Benefit/Income Support Annual Statistical Enquiries, 1974–1994.
  2. 2. Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiry, November 1998.
  3. 3. Office National Statistics population estimates mid-1974 to mid-1997.

Mr. Webb

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many individuals received an age addition to the basic state pension(a) in the year in which it was introduced, (b) at five year intervals thereafter and (c) in the latest year for which figures are available. [84757]

Mr. Timms

The information is in the table.

Number of people in receipt of the basic state retirement pension and an age addition payment (for those aged 80 and over) as at the end of each month
Inquiry date Number of people
December 1971 1.2
November 1976 1.4
November 1981 1.6
September 1986 1.9
September 1991 2.2
September 1996 2.4
January 1999 2.4

Note:

Figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred thousand.

Sources:

  1. 1. December 1971 and November 1976: Figures from Social Security Statistics based on a 10 per cent. sample excluding clerical cases.
  2. 2. November 1981-September 1991: 10 per cent. sample of Central Pensions Branch system.
  3. 3. September 1996 and January 1999: 5 per cent. sample of Pensions Strategy Computer System.