Pensioner Incomes

HC Deb 23 May 2002 vol 386 cc544-5W

Mr. Burstow

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the(a) number and (b) percentage of single pensioners with gross weekly incomes of between (i) £78 and £134 and (ii) £122 and £134; and if he will estimate the (1) number and (2) percentage of pensioner couples with gross weekly incomes of between (A) £124 and £200 and (B) £188 and £200. [58030]

Mr. McCartney

The information requested is in the table.

	Gross weekly income (£)	Number	Percentage
Single pensioners	78–134	1,730,000	40
	122–134	470,000	11
Pensioner couples	124–200	1,000,000	25
	188–200	170,000	4

Notes:

1. The estimates are from the Family Resources Survey 1999–00 and are rounded to the nearest 10,000 or 1 per cent. As with data from any survey, these estimates should not be treated as exact as they are subject to sampling error. This is the latest year for which results are available and the survey covers Great Britain.

2. The Family Resources Survey does not include information on pensioners living in residential care or nursing homes.

3. Gross weekly income is at July 1999 prices.

4. Single pensioners are defined as single (non-cohabiting) people aged 60 or over. Pensioner couples are defined as couples (married or co-habiting) where either partner is aged 60 or over. This differs from the definition used in the Pensioners' Incomes Series (singles over state pension age (65 and over for men, 60 and over for women) and couples where the man is over state pension age).

Mr. Weir

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the impact on payment to pensioners and those in receipt of other benefits of Consignia's plans for urban sub-post offices. [58124]

Mr. McCartney

Access for customers will be a key feature of the Post Office's restructuring programme. Even after restructuring, it is expected that well over 95 per cent. of customers in urban areas will still live within a mile of a post office branch and the majority will live within half a mile. And the branches which make up the network should have a sounder commercial basis upon which to develop customer service.