HC Deb 25 February 2002 vol 380 cc782-3W
Mr. Hancock

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many cases of retirement pension payday beginning on the Monday after the person's birthday there were in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [35993]

Mr. McCartney

The information requested is in the table.

Estimated number of newly retired pensioners whose pension payday began on the Monday after the person's birthday
Thousand
Number
1997–98 410
1998–99 400
1999–2000 400
2000–01 410
2001–02 400

Note:

Numbers rounded to the nearest 10,000.

Source:

September PSCS data, 5 per cent. sample.

Mr. Hancock

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much money has been saved in each year since 1997 through starting retirement pension payday on the Monday after a person's birthday; and if he will make a statement. [35994]

Mr. McCartney

There are no overall savings under the current regulations which provide for the payment of retirement pension in whole weeks at the start and end of a claim.

If payment were made for part weeks at the start of a claim only, and there was no recovery of overpaid benefit at the end of a claim, we estimate that this would have incurred a cost of up to £20 million per annum in each year since 1997.