§ Mr. GibbTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answer of 15 September 2003,Official Report, column 556W, on means-tested benefits, what percentage of the population aged 60 years and over was in receipt of income support in each year between 1993 and 2002. [131951]
§ Malcolm WicksThe answer is in the table.
Income Support Pensioner Beneficiaries aged 60 or over as a percentage of the population: Great Britain—May 1993 to May 2002 Income Support MIG Beneficiaries aged 60 and over (000s) Percentage of the population aged 60 and over 1993 1,967 16.8 1994 1,998 17.1 1995 1,980 16.9 1996 1,957 16.7 1997 1,903 16.2 1998 1,830 15.5 1999 1,789 15.1 2000 1,784 15.0 2001 1,907 16.0 2002 1,945 16.2 Notes:
1. Jobseeker's allowance replaced income support for the unemployed from October 1996, therefore to enable comparisons to be made, figures prior to May 1997 exclude the unemployed.
2. Beneficiaries of a benefit unit are the sum of claimants and their partners.
330W3. Percentage for population has been calculated using the revised ONS population estimates for age group 60 and over, for 1993 to 2002.
4. Figures are based on a 5 per cent. sample and therefore subject to sampling variation.
5. Claimant figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred and quoted in thousands, percentage population figures to one decimal place.
Source:
IAD Information Centre, 5 per cent sample.