§ Earl Russellasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the increase in the minimum income guarantee for pensioners is accompanied by any measures to make the delivery of that guarantee more effective [HL7]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Social Security (Baroness Hollis of Heigham)We will announce our plans to encourage pensioners to take up their minimum income guarantee shortly.
§ Earl Russellasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they are able to estimate what proportion of pensioners eligible to benefit from the minimum income guarantee actually do so. [HL8]
§ Baroness Hollis of HeighamEstimates of the proportion of pensioners taking up their minimum income guarantee from its introduction in April 1999 are not available. The latest statistics on take-up of the income related benefits were published on 24 September and cover the year 1997–98.