HC Deb 28 November 2000 vol 357 cc487-8W
Mr. Willetts

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate how much the(a) median and (b) mean Pension Credit payments would be in the current year had the Pension Credit already been implemented based on the figures in the Pension Credit consultation paper (Cm 4900). [139117]

Mr. Rooker

The costs of the Pension Credit will depend on decisions about the detailed design following the consultation exercise—such as the nature of the interactions with other benefits such as Housing Benefit and the detail of the legislation, when it has completed its passage through Parliament. We will bring forward estimates of the Pension Credit once we have considered responses to the consultation exercise.

Mr. Field

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Northavon (Mr. Webb) of 13 November 2000,Official Report, column 526W, if he will (a) extend his projections up to 2003–04 to include the Pension Credit and (b) indicate the take-up assumptions on which his estimates are based; [139748]

(2) how many and what proportion of pensioners will qualify for the Pension Credit in (a) 2008–09 and (b) 2013–14 assuming that average earnings increase at an annual rate of 4 per cent. and prices increase at an annual rate of (i) 2 per cent. and (ii) 2.5 per cent. [139816]

Mr. Rooker

[holding answers 22 and 23 November 2000]: The costs of the Pension Credit will depend on decisions about the detailed design following the consultation exercise—such as the nature of the interactions with other benefits such as Housing Benefit and the detail of the legislation, when it has completed its passage through Parliament. We will bring forward estimates of the Pension Credit once we have considered responses to the consultation exercise.

Mr. Cousins

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will place in the Library an analysis of the costs and benefits of the withdrawal taper for the savings element of the proposed pension credit being set at(a) the current standard rate tax, (b) 30 per cent., (c) 35 per cent. and (d) the current Housing Benefit withdrawal taper. [140668]

Mr. Rooker

The costs of the Pension Credit will depend on decisions about the detailed design following the consultation exercise—such as the nature of the interactions with other benefits such as Housing Benefit and the detail of the legislation, when it has completed its passage through Parliament. We will bring forward estimates of the Pension Credit once we have considered responses to the consultation exercise.