§ Mr. WatersonTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the role of means-testing in providing provision for pensioners. [89776]
§ Mr. McCartneyThe purpose of the minimum income guarantee is to ensure that no pensioner need live on less than £98.15 a week— £149.80 for couples (from April 2003, £102.10 a week for single pensioners and £155.80 for couples). In addition, the pension credit when it is introduced in October 2003, is intended to reward rather than penalise those people who have modest amounts of second pension or other savings.