HC Deb 09 May 2001 vol 368 cc178-9W
Kali Mountford

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his written answer to the right hon. Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) on 15 March 2001,Official Report, column 716W, if he will update his estimates of the number of pensioner units with an income of (a) under £50, (b) £50 to £99, (c) £100 to £149, (d) £150 to £199, (e) £200 to £210, (f) £211 to £221 and (g) £221 and above who are in receipt of (i) Housing Benefit, (ii) Council Tax Benefit, (iii) Council Tax Benefit and Housing Benefit and (iv) one or more of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit. [160872]

Mr. Rooker

The information is in the tables.

Pensioners in Great Britain in receipt of Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Benefit by amount of income (excluding Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit amounts)—May 1999
Total income Housing Benefit for Great Britain Council Tax Benefit for Great Britain Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit for Great Britain Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Benefit for Great Britain
All Cases 1,769,000 2,542,000 1,640,000 2,670,000
Under £50 162,000 204,000 150,000 220,000
£50–£99 720,000 1,042,000 690,000 1,070,000
£100–£149 628,000 895,000 570,000 960,000
£150–£199 187,000 288,000 170,000 300,000
£200–£210 19,000 30,000 20,000 30,000
£211–£220 12,000 21,000 10,000 20,000
£221 and above 40,000 62,000 40,000 70,000

Pensioners in Great Britain in receipt of Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Benefit by amount of income (including Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit amounts)—May 1999
Total income Housing Benefit for Great Britain Council Tax Benefit for Great Britain Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit for Great Britain Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Benefit for Great Britain
All cases 1,769,000 2,542,000 1,640,000 2,670,000
Under £50 36,000 79,000 30,000 90,000
£50–£99 130,000 438,000 120,000 450,000
£100–£149 821,000 1,097,000 760,000 1,150,000
£150–£199 536,000 642,000 500,000 680,000
£200–£210 61,000 69,000 60,000 70,000
£211–£220 42,000 50,000 40,000 50,000
£221 and above 142,000 167,000 130,000 180,000

Notes:

  1. 1. All income that has been used is the income prior to any subtraction of disregards, except for earned income, which is all net income.
  2. 2. The data refer to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple.
  3. 3. The figures for cases in receipt of Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit have been rounded to the nearest thousand, however due to the estimation procedure to produce the figures for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit, or Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Benefit, these figures need to be rounded to the nearest ten thousand due to the collection procedures in Scotland.
  4. 4. Pensioners have been identified by either the claimant or the partner being aged 60 and over.
  5. 5. In the first table, the bands of income have been reached by looking at the total income excluding any housing benefit or council tax benefit but including income assumed from any savings.
  6. 6. In the second table, the bands of income have been reached by looking at the total income including any housing benefit or council tax benefit as well as any income assumed from any savings.
  7. 7. The totals may not sum due to rounding.

Source: Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System, Annual 1 per cent. sample, taken in May 1999.

Mr. Blizzard

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much additional expenditure on pensioners there has been since May 1997 over and above the cost of annually uprating the state pension in line with prices. [160640]

Mr. Rooker

Including forecast expenditure for the current year, the Government will have spent an additional £8.9 billion on new measures over and above inflation increases in the state pension since April 1997.

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