§ Mr. WebbTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) if he will estimate the number of(a) people receiving and (b) pension providers issuing combined pension forecasts; [43359]
(2) if he will estimate the number of (a) employers and (b) pension providers who are providing information for the combined pension forecast. [43358]
§ Mr. Nicholas Brown[holding answer 14 March 2002]: To date, 33,662 customers have received a combined pension statement issued in partnership with four employers and three pension providers.
Since its launch at the annual Pensions Show on 17 October 2001, the new service has received expressions of interest from 91 private or occupational pension providers who wish to take advantage of this new, voluntary service.
These providers are progressing through the various stages involved in introducing the service to their customers, including the formal registration process, obtaining the required customer consent to exchange personal information with the Department and developing their IT systems to share data electronically.
§ Mr. CousinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate what proportion of(a) occupational pensions defined by benefit, (b) occupational pensions defined by contribution and (c) personal pensions provided for survivor benefits or joint life annuities; and what proportion of such pensions provide for indexation of pensions. [37040]
§ Mr. Nicholas BrownThe information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table. 645W
Numbers of active members of defined benefit schemes according to benefits payable on death after retirement Thousands Benefit payable As of right under scheme rules Private sector At trustees' discretion As of right under scheme rules Public sector At turstees' discretion Total Pension to surviving spouse 4,810 220 4,100 — 9,130 Pension to surviving children 3,090 600 4,100 — 7,790 Pension to a divorced ex-spouse 200 1,680 600 160 2,640 Pension to any nominated person 320 2,560 600 340 3,820 Total active members of defined benefit schemes 5,140 — 4,100 — 9,240 Notes:
1. Schemes may be included under more than one category in the above table.
2. The GAD survey did not include information on the number of defined contribution and personal pension in payment that provide for a survivor's pension as most of these schemes provide a lump sum on retirement with which the member buys a pension. It is then up to the member to choose whether or not the pension will provide for a survivor's pension. In a defined contribution scheme used to contract out of the state earnings related pension scheme (SERPS), that part of the pension deriving from the national insurance contribution rebate (the protected rights) must be used to purchase a pension providing for a survivor's pension where the member is married at the time the pension is purchased.
3. The same rules apply to personal pensions. It is entirely a matter for the member to decide whether or not the pension provides for survivor's benefits except where the personal pension has been used to contract out of (SERPS). In these circumstances, that part of the pension fund comprising the protected rights, must be used to purchase a pension providing for a survivor's pension where the member is married at the time that the pension is purchased.
4. All occupational pension schemes (both defined benefit and defined contribution) are subject to indexation. That part of the pension in payment that derives from pension rights built up from 6 April 1997 must be increased by the percentage increase in the retail price index, or 5 per cent, whichever is the lesser.
5. With personal pensions only that part of the pension deriving from the protected rights is subject to indexation. It is up to the scheme member to decide whether or int the pension deriving from the excess of these rights is to be indexed.
Source:
Table 10.9 of the GAD Survey of Occupational Pension Schemes 1995
§ Mr. BoswellTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in each of the past 30 calendar years what was the(a) percentage ratio of current average earnings to the state basic retirement pension, (b) same percentage ratio to average state pension paid to individuals (excluding dependent spouses) and (c) same percentage ratio to mean income from state and occupational pension schemes. [40112]
§ Maloclm Wicks[holding answer 5 March 2002]: The niformation requested is in the tables.
646W
Average earnings as a percentage of full basic pension Percentage September 1971 435 October 1972 425 October 1973 413 July 1974 364 April 1975 359 November 1975 406 November 1976 420 November 1977 401 November 1978 406 November 1979 385 November 1980 406 November 1981 422 November 1982 416 November 1983 433 November 1984 445 November 1985 446 July 1986 477 April 1987 504 April 1988 531 April 1989 550 April 1990 561 April 1991 548 April 1992 563 April 1993 565 April 1994 565 April 1995 571
Average earnings as a percentage of full basic pension Percentage April 1996 575 April 1997 589 April 1998 594 April 1999 599 April 2000 608 April 2001 — Notes:
1. Average earnings figure not yet available for April 2001.
2. Figures for GB
Average earnings as a percentage of average category A/AB pension paid Percentage April 1995 608 April 1996 612 April 1997 626 April 1998 633 April 1999 638 April 2000 648 April 2001 — Notes:
1. Average earnings figure not yet available for April 2001.
2. Information on average amount of Category A pension paid is not available prior to April 1995.
3. Taken from administrative data.
4. Figures are for GB.
647W
Average earnings as a percentage of state and occupational pension schemes for pensioner units Percentage April 1994 262.7 April 1995 264.8 April 1996 258.6 April 1997 258.9 April 1998 258.1
Average earnings as a percentage of state and occupational pension schemes for pensioner units percentage April 1999 256.5 April 2000 — April 2001 — Notes:
1. The figures are based statistics published in the Pensioner Income Series 1999–00.
2. The definition of a pensioner unit is a single person over state pension age or a couple where the man is over state pension age.
3. Data for years prior to 1994–5 would only be possible using the Family Expenditure Survey but this analysis is not readily available.
4. Since parts (a) and (b) of this question are based on DWP administrative data on benefit receipt, part (c) is not directly comparable.
5. Figures are for GB.
§ Mr. BoswellTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many employees in each of the last ten years were(a) participants in contracted-out funded pension schemes, (b) participants in contracted-in payments to the national insurance system and (c) outside either category. [40111]
§ Malcolm Wicks[holding answer 5 March 2002]: The information requested is not available. Such information as is available is in the table.
Thousand Total number contractede-out Total number belonging to SERPS1 Total number of workers not contracted-out or belonging to SERPS 1991–92 14,931 6,471 2,356 1992–93 14,849 6,327 2,064 1993–94 14,659 6,555 2,816 1994–95 14,566 7,115 1,357 1995–96 14,817 7,496 922 1 These include employees who are members of contracted-in occupational pension schemes. In his publication titled "Occupational Pension Schemes-1995", the Government Actuary estimated that in 1995, there were 1.3 million members of such schemes. Source:
"Second Tier Pension Provision 1995–96" and "Labour Force Survey"—Department for Work and Pensions' Analytical Services Division
§ Chris GraylingTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will change the practice of starting a pension from the Monday following a person's 60 or 65 birthday. [37423]
§ Mr. Nicholas BrownEntitlement to Retirement Pension begins with the pay-day on or following the pensioner's 60 or 65 birthday. Changes in entitlement, for example a decrease because of a prolonged stay in hospital, also takes effect from the pay-day following the change in circumstances. The same rule applies with the termination of the award. The principle of paying Retirement Pension in whole weeks stems from the fact that the benefit is traditionally paid in advance.
There are no plans to change the present arrangements for paying Retirement Pension.