§ Mr. EnnisTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioners will benefit from the minimum income guarantee in(a) Barnsley and (b) Doncaster. [116080]
§ Mr. DarlingThere are around 8,000 pensioners in Barnsley and 9,000 in Doncaster, receiving their minimum income guarantee (MIG) which is paid through Income Support.
I have written to right hon. and hon. Members today advising them of our plans for a take-up campaign, to encourage pensioners to claim their entitlement to the MIG.
Starting in the spring, the campaign will see intense activity on a number of fronts. This will include television advertising, writing to around two million pensioners who our records suggest are likely to have an underlying entitlement, and the introduction of a tele-claims centre with special trained operators who can advise on entitlement and help complete the paperwork to claim the MIG.
448WToday we are also publishing a paper which shows what has happened to pensioner incomes over the past 40 years. It shows that average pensioner incomes as a whole are rising faster than average earnings and that some have done very well. But it also shows that a significant minority of pensioners have missed out. We are helping all pensioners, but the paper shows why we should focus particular help on those who need help most.
The paper has been placed in the Library and copies are available from the Vote Office.
§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people over 65 years of age are receiving the minimum income guarantee in(a) the Crosby parliamentary constituency and (b) each constituency in the City of Liverpool. [116673]
§ Mr. BayleyThe administration of the minimum income guarantee is a matter for Peter Mathison the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to my hon. Friend.
Letter from Peter Mathison to Mrs. Claire Curtis-Thomas, dated 3 April 2000:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about how many people over 65 years of age are receiving the minimum income guarantee in (a) the Crosby parliamentary constituency and (b) each constituency in the City of Liverpool.The table below lists the number of people aged 65 and over receiving minimum income guarantee by constituency:
Thousand Constituency Claimants aged 65 and over Crosby 1.9 Liverpool, Garston 3.0 Liverpool, Riverside 4.4 Liverpool, Walton 3.2 Liverpool, Wavertree 3.3 Liverpool, West Derby 3.7 These figures are from the Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiry of November 1999. Please note the sample size is 5% and therefore, subject to sampling error. They have been rounded to the nearest hundred.I hope this reply is helpful.
§ Mr. WebbTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if hon. Members will receive details of his take-up campaign for the minimum income guarantee in addition to that contained in press releases. [117603]
§ Mr. BayleyMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State wrote to right hon. and hon. Members on 29 March, advising them of our plans for a take-up campaign, to encourage pensioners to claim their entitlement to the Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG).
Starting in the Spring, the campaign will see intense activity on a number of fronts. This will include television advertising, writing to around two million pensioners who our records suggest are likely to have an underlying entitlement, and the introduction of a tele-claims centre with special trained operators who can advise on entitlement and help complete the paperwork to claim the MIG.