§ Mr. WebbTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many(a) men and (b) women have neither paid national insurance contributions nor received credits for pension purposes, in each year since 1979. [32614]
§ Mr. McCartneyThe available information is set out in the table:
Number of people, of working age, who have neither paid National Insurance contributions nor received credits for pension purposes in each year since 1979—United Kingdom
Thousand Men Women Total 1979 245 6,668 6,913 1980 305 6,466 6,771 1981 351 6,363 6,715 1982 388 6,210 6,598 1983 421 6,058 6,479 1984 468 5,849 6,317 1985 510 5,622 6,133 1986 548 5,418 5,966 1987 626 5,264 5,889 1988 696 5,119 5,815 1989 808 4,981 5,789 1990 926 4,911 5,837 1991 1,028 4,998 6,025 1992 1,125 4,982 6,107 1993 1,213 4,947 6,160 1994 1,288 4,779 6,067 1995 1,390 4,674 6,064 1996 1,652 4,679 6,331 Notes:
1. Figures are taken from a 1 per cent. sample so are subject to rounding error and are rounded to the nearest thousand.
2. Figures exclude those not registered on NIRS in each year (particularly affecting women in the early years of this analysis and those aged 18–21).
3. In defining credits autocredits, invalid care allowance credits, local office credits, unemployment credits and starting credits have been included.
4. The numbers of women is thought to have decreased over this period due to the increased involvement of women in the labour market. The numbers of men may have increased because of an increase in the number of older men inactive within the labour market.
5. Figures are not available after 1996 because of the change in the NIRs system—national insurance recording system.
Source:
Figures are taken from the Lifetime Labour Market Database (LLMDB), extracted from the national insurance recording system (NIRS).
§ Hywel WilliamsTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the estimated weekly income was of(a) a single pensioner and (b) a pensioner couple who are on 60 per cent. of median income in the last year for which figures are available. [41880]
§ Maria EagleThe information requested is in the table.144W
Money values of 60 per cent. of median household income threshold for pensioners for the financial year 1999–2000 (in
December 2000 prices)
£ Net disposable weekly household income Before housing costs After housing costs Single pensioner 104 81 Pensioner couple 171 147 Notes:
1. All figures are estimates and are taken from the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) data set which is derived from the Family Resources Survey (FRS). The FRS does not include Northern Ireland. 1999–2000 is the latest year for which data is available.
2. The estimates are presented on both a Before Housing Costs (BHC) and an After Housing Costs (AHC) basis in line with HBAI conventions.
§ Hywel WilliamsTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of(a) single pensioners and (b) pensioner couples are expected to have incomes of less than 60 per cent. of median income for each year between 2002 and 2010. [41882]
§ Maria EagleThe information is not available.
§ Hywel WilliamsTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of(a) single pensioners and (b) pensioner couples had incomes of less than 60 per cent. of the median income in the last year for which figures are available. [41881]
§ Maria EagleThe information requested can be found in the publication "Households Below Average Income 1994/95–1999/2000", a copy of which is held in the Library.
§ Mr. WebbTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the proportion of(a) men and (b) women who will reach state pension age in 2002 with entitlement to a full basic state pension based on their own contributions and if he will provide corresponding estimates for (i) 1992, (ii) 1982 and (iii) 1972. [32617]
§ Mr. McCartneyAt 31 March 2001, 85.6 per cent. of 65-year-old men in receipt of a state retirement pension were getting a full basic state pension based on their own contribution record. The corresponding figure for 60-year-old women was 22 per cent. We would expect these proportions to remain broadly similar in 2002.
Historic data are not available in the required format to estimate the corresponding proportions for 1992, 1982 and 1972.
§ Mr. MudieTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners there are in East Leeds; how many are in receipt of the minimum pension guarantee; and what average amount is paid to pensioners in East Leeds. [40850]
§ Maria EagleAs at 30 September 2001 there were 14,7001 retirement pension recipients in the parliamentary constituency of Leeds, East. At November 2001, there were 3,4002 minimum income guarantee claimants in the parliamentary constituency of Leeds, East. The average amount of minimum income guarantee paid to these claimants is £50.81.
Source:
1 Pension Strategy Computer System. 30 September 2001
2 Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiry, November 2001
145W
§ Mr. CousinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions under what circumstances two(a) married and (b) cohabiting pensioners could separately claim the proposed pension credit. [42956]
§ Malcolm WicksTwo married pensioners will be able to receive pension credit separately if they are no longer living together as husband and wife. In practice, if one or both are living permanently in a residential care or nursing home they will be able to receive pension credit separately.
Two single pensioners will only be treated as a couple if they are living together as husband and wife. In these circumstances they will be treated in the same way as a married couple.