§ Mr. PikeTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will ensure that pensioners receiving Minimum Income Guarantee do not have deductions made for repayment of loans from the Social Fund; and if he will make a statement. [118335]
§ Angela EagleInterest-free budgeting loans from the Social Fund, designed to spread the cost of routine lump-sum expenses over a longer period, are available to a wide variety of groups receiving Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance. People who take out such loans, including pensioners receiving the Minimum Income Guarantee, are choosing to use some of their income to pay them back, by deductions from benefit, in the same way that they organise and manage their income to meet other weekly outgoings. It would not be fair or appropriate to exempt any one group from this straightforward repayment arrangement.
§ Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioners are being targeted as possible qualifiers for the Minimum Income Guarantee in each of the age groups(a) 60 to 65, (b) 65 to 70, (c) 70 to 75, (d) 75 to 80, (e) 80 to 85, (f) 85 to 90 and (g) over 90 years old. [118007]
§ Mr. RookerThe information is in the table.
Pensioners in the following age bands are being targeted as possible qualifiers for the minimum income guarantee.
Age band Total count Male Female 60–64 398,544 0 398,114 65–69 310,207 120,042 190,165 70–74 304,452 121,907 182,545 75–79 438,302 147,044 291,258 80–84 237,822 206,689 31,133 85–89 358,822 135,299 223,523 90+ 158,287 45,001 113,286 Total 2,206,436 775,982 1,430,024