§ Mr. WillettsTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his answer of 19 June 2002,Official Report, columns 407–08W, why the Government decided that the higher uprating of the basic state pension should apply to basic state pension increments from April 2002. [68607]
§ Mr. McCartneyThe decision was taken in order for the increments to maintain their proportionate value.
§ Mr. BarnesTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many self-employed people receive the full basic State Pension; and what percentage of the total this is. [69196]
115W
§ Mr. McCartneyWe do not collect information on the number of formerly self-employed people who have given up work and now receive a State Pension.
The number of people working in a self-employed capacity and aged above State Pension age (60 for women; 65 for men) is in the table.
Number Females over the State Pension age 94,000 Males over the State Pension age 120,000 Total 214,000 Notes:
1. Figures in the table are from the Labour Force Survey—Winter 2001.
2. The latest total number of people in Great Britain in receipt of a State Pension is 10.3 million—September 2001 administrative data.
The total of 214,000 represents about 2 per cent. of the total number of people receiving a State Pension.
§ Mr. BarnesTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of(a) men and (b) women had contributed to national insurance for under 25 per cent. of the years required to receive the full basic State Pension in the latest 12 months for which figures are available. [69197]
§ Mr. McCartneyThe information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table.
Percentage Proportion of single people and couples over State Pension age and receiving a State Retirement Pension 2000–01 All single pensioners and pensioner couples Pensioner couples 99 Single male pensioners 98 Single female pensioners 98 Total 98 Recently retired single pensioners and pensioner couples1,2,3,4 Pensioner couples 98 Single male pensioners 96 Single female pensioners 94 Total 97 1 It is possible to defer claiming State Pension for up to five years. Therefore, particularly among the recently retired pensioners, there will be people with entitlement to a State Pension who do not yet receive an income from their pension.
2 These results are based on Table 8 of the Pensioners' Incomes Series 2000–01.
3 Figures for Retirement Pension also include the other contributory benefits for the elderly, Widows' Benefits and Incapacity Benefit.
4 Recently retired pensioner units are defined as: single women aged 60–64; single men aged 65–69; and couples in which the man is aged 65–69.
§ Mr. BarnesTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of(a) men and (b) women receive the full basic State Pension. [691981
§ Mr. McCartneyThe percentages of males and females who are entitled to a Basic State Pension and who receive the full basic State Pension are as set out in the table.
116W
Percentage of males and females who are entitled to a basic State Pension and who receive the full basic State Pension Male 91 Female 83 Notes:
1. The figures are rounded to the nearest percentage point.
1. The figures are taken from administrative data on 30 September 2001.
2. Figures are for Great Britain.
3. The table includes everyone in receipt of a Category A, AB, ABL, B, BL, or D State Pension.
4. Full pension refers to people in receipt of the maximum amount of basic State Pension that applies to the category of pension they receive.