§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what the income ratio is between the top fifth and the bottom fifth of pensioners; and what it would be if the link between the basic pension and average earnings had been retained.[136046]
§ Mr. RookerIn 1998–99, the ratio of average (median) incomes in the top fifth compared to the bottom fifth of the pensioners' income distribution was 3.1 for single pensioners and 3.5 for pensioner couples. The other information requested is not available.
Notes:
- 1. pensioners are defined as single people aged over state pension age (65 for men, 60 for women) and couples (married or cohabiting) where the man is over state pension age.
- 2. Income is defined as net income before housing costs. The income distribution has been calculated separately for single pensioners and pensioner couples.
Source:
The Pensioners' Income Series 1998–99, published on 26 October 2000.
§ Mr. WebbTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 8 February 2000,Official Report, column 122–29W, on pensioner incomes, if he will provide estimates on the same basis for 1998–99.[138030]
§ Mr. RookerThe information is in the tables.
Pensioner units' median gross income excluding means-tested benefits, by age and an marital status, 1998–99 Marital Status 60–64 65–69 70–74 75–79 Age 80+ Single male pensioners n/a 133 124 114 112 Single female pensioners 123 114 102 100 99 Pensioner couples n/a 268 233 192 182 Notes:
- 1. All amounts are in £ per week at July 1998 prices. They are rounded to the nearest £1, although estimates are not necessarily accurate to this level.
- 2. Estimates are for pensioner units. A pensioner unit is defined as a single (non-cohabiting) person over state pension age (65 years or above for men and 60 years or above for women), or a couple (married or cohabiting) where the man, defined as the head, is over state pension age. Estimates for pensioner couples are broken down by the age of the man.
- 3. Estimates marked 'n/a' are not applicable. Single men and couples are only defined as pensioner units if the man is aged 65 years or above.
- 4. Means-tested benefits are defined as Income Support, Family Credit, Council Tax Benefit, Housing Benefit and Social Fund Grants.
- 5. Levels of means-tested benefit may be particularly affected by mis-reporting by survey respondents, as it is thought that receipt of State Retirement Pension and receipt of Income Support are often confused in the FRS.
Source:
The Pensioners' Incomes Series dataset, based on the Family Resources Survey (FRS) 1998–99.
791W
Numbers of pensioner units by age and marital status, 1998–99 Marital Status 60–64 65–69 70–74 75–79 Age 80+ Single male pensioners n/a 200,000 250,000 210,000 280,000 Single female pensioners 370,000 560,000 690,000 740,000 880,000 Pensioner couples n/a 1,010,000 810,000 520,000 330,000 Notes:
- 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10,000 pensioner units
- 2. Estimates are for pensioner units. A pensioner unit is defined as a single (non-cohabiting) person over state pension age (65 years or above for men and 60 years or above for women), or a couple (married or cohabiting) where the man, defined as the head, is over state pension age. Estimates for pensioner couples are broken down by the age of the man.
- 3. Estimates marked 'n/a' are not applicable. Single men and couples are only defined as pensioner units if the man is aged 65 years or above.
- 4. Estimates are not controlled to independent population estimates by the age bands used.
Source:
The Pensioners' Incomes Series dataset, based on the Family Resources Survey (FRS) 1998–99.
§ Mr. WillettsTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioners have been newly awarded(a) Income Support and (b) the Minimum Income Guarantee in each quarter since 1997.[138309]
§ Mr. RookerThe information is in the table.
Minimum Income Guarantee pensioner claims, 1997 to 2000 Quarter New claims 1997 February 49,000 May 64,000 August 52,000 November 47,000 1998 February 49,000 May 50,000 August 48,000 November 49,000 1999 February 50,000 May 64,000 August 56,000 November 52,000 2000 February 44,000 May 66,000 Notes:
- 1. Figures are based on a 5 per cent. sample and are therefore subject to a degree of sampling error.
- 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand.
- 3. As inquiries are taken at a point in time, no account can be taken of claimants who flow on and then off again, and visa versa, between the dates of the inquiry. Therefore, the numbers will underestimate the true level of inflows and outflows although the net combined effect will be correct.
Source:
Income Support Quarterly Statistical Inquiries, February 1997 to May 2000.
792W
§ Fiona MactaggartTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioners in Slough are eligible for(a) the Winter Fuel Allowance, (b) a free television licence to over 75-year-olds and (c) the Minimum Income Guarantee; and if he will make a statement.[138717]
§ Mr. RookerThe information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table.
Statistics on pensioners in Slough, May 2000 Thousand Category Number Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG) pensioners 2.6 Pensioners over 75 5.5 Winter Fuel Payments total claimants paid 13.4 Notes:
- 1. All except Winter Fuel Payment data are based on 5 per cent. samples, therefore subject to sampling error.
- 2. Figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred and expressed in thousands.
- 3. Cases are allocated to each parliamentary constituency by matching the postcode against the 2000 Version 1 of the Postcode Directory supplied by ONS. Constituency boundaries are represented as at May 1997.
- 4. MIG Pensioners are defined as Income Support benefit units where either the claimant and/or the partner is aged 60 or over.
- 5. Number of pensioner households who will receive free TV licences is not directly known, but from the statistical samples it is possible to produce data on the number of pensioners receiving one or a combination of Retirement Pension, MIG, Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Incapacity Benefit or Severe Disablement Allowance by parliamentary constituency and are aged 75 or over.
Sources:
Income Support Statistics Quarterly Enquiry, May 2000 Statistical samples held by ASD Information Centre, May 2000 Matching Intelligence Data Analysis Service Winter Fuel Payment 1999–2000 exercise
§ Mr. ShawTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioners in Chatham and Aylesford are eligible for the(a) winter fuel allowance, (b) free television licence for over 75-year-olds and (c) minimum income guarantee; and if he will make a statement. [138720]
§ Mr. RookerThe information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table.
Statistics on pensioners in Chatham and Aylesford, May 2000 Thousand Category Number Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG) pensioners 1.6 Pensioners over 75 5.0 Winter Fuel Payments total claimants paid 12.8 Notes:
- 1. All except Winter Fuel Payment data are based on 5 per cent. samples, therefore subject to sampling error.
- 2. Figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred and expressed in thousands.
- 3. Cases are allocated to each parliamentary constituency by matching the postcode against the 2000 Version 1 of the Postcode Directory supplied by ONS. Constituency boundaries are represented as at May 1997.
- 4. MIG Pensioners are defined as Income Support benefit units where either the claimant and/or the partner is aged 60 or over.
793W - 5. Number of pensioner households who will receive free TV licences is not directly known, but from the statistical samples it is possible to produce data on the number of pensioners receiving one or a combination of Retirement Pension, MIG, Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Incapacity Benefit or Severe Disablement Allowance by parliamentary constituency and are aged 75 or over.
Sources:
Income Support Statistics Quarterly Enquiry, May 2000
Statistical samples held by ASD Information Centre, May 2000
Matching Intelligence Data Analysis Service Winter Fuel Payment 1999–2000 exercise
§ Mr. WyattTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioners in Sittingbourne and Sheppey are eligible for(a) winter fuel allowance, (b) free television licence for over 75-year- olds and (c) minimum income guarantee; and if he will make a statement. [138718]
§ Mr. RookerThe information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table.
Statistics on pensioners in Sittingbourne and Sheppey, in May 2000
Category Number(Thousand) Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG) pensioners 2.1 Pensioners over 75 5.9 Winter fuel payments total claimants paid 14.7 Notes:
- 1. All except Winter Fuel Payment data are based on 5 per cent. samples, therefore subject to sampling error.
- 2. Figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred and expressed in thousands.
- 3. Cases are allocated to each Parliamentary constituency by matching the postcode against the 2000 Version 1 of the Postcode Directory supplied by ONS. Constituency boundaries are represented as at May 1997.
- 4. MIG Pensioners are defined as Income Support benefit units where either the claimant and/or the partner is aged 60 or over.
- 5. Number of pensioner households who will receive free TV licences is not directly known, but from the statistical samples it is possible to produce data on the number of pensioners receiving one or a combination of Retirement Pension, MIG, Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Incapacity Benefit or Severe Disablement Allowance by Parliamentary constituency and are aged 75 or over.
Sources:
Income Support Statistics Quarterly Enquiry, May 2000.
Statistical samples held by ASD Information Centre—May 2000 Matching Intelligence Data Analysis Service Winter Fuels Payment 1999–2000 exercise.