§ Mr. WoodwardTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners he estimates in(a) the north west region, (b) Merseyside and (c) St. Helens, South are eligible for the Minimum Income Guarantee. [137983]
§ Malcolm WicksMinimum Income Guarantee was replaced by Pension Credit in October 2003. Estimates of the national number of pensioners previously eligible for, but not claiming the Minimum Income Guarantee, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit are included in the publication "Income-Related Benefits—Estimates of Take Up in 2000/2001", copies of which are available in the Library.
Around 3.8 million pensioner households are eligible for Pension Credit nationally with around 500,000 in the north west and Merseyside region.
§ Mr. WoodwardTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in(a) the north west region, (b) Merseyside and (c) St. Helens South are in receipt of the minimum income guarantee. [137984]
§ Malcolm WicksAs at May 2003, the number of minimum income guarantee recipients in St. Helens south was around 3,400, in Merseyside Metropolitan 61,800, and in the north west and Merseyside region, 248,600. These are the latest figures available.
Pension credit replaced minimum income guarantee from 6 October 2003.
491WNotes
1. The MIG figure has been rounded to the nearest hundred.
2. The MIG figure is based on a 5 per cent. sample, and therefore subject to a degree of sampling variation.
3. Government office region/parliamentary constituency are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.
4. MIG recipients are defined as income support benefit units where the claimant, and/or partner is aged 60 or over.
Source
IAD Information Centre, 5 per cent. sample