§ Mr. DismoreTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in Hendon(a) are receiving pension credit, (b) are entitled to pension credit but not yet claiming it, (c) are receiving pension savings credit, (d) art entitled to pension savings credit but not yet claiming it, (e) received free eye tests in the last year for which figures are available, (f) received free TV licences in the last year for which figures are available and (g) will be entitled to winter fuel payment (i) at the standard rate and (ii) at the higher rate for older pensioners in 2003–04; and if he will make a statement. [134038]
§ Malcolm WicksThe information requested about Pension Credit is rot yet available in the format requested.
As at May 2003 there were 3,000 Minimum Income Guarantee claimants in the Hendon constituency. Around half of all pensioner households will be eligible for Pension Credit and stand to gain on average £400 a year (around £7 a week). We intend from November to publish monthly reports on the progress of Pension Credit take-on, which will include information on the number of applications. (1–4)
The number of sight tests paid for by the national health service for those aged 60 and over in Barnet, Enfield and Haringay health authority for the year ending 31 March, 2003 was 54,780. (5)
The information requested about TV licences and Winter Fuel payments is not available in the format requested, such information as is available is as follows.
The number of people aged 75 and over, in receipt of a key benefit as at 31 May 2003 in Hendon was 6,600. These people would be eligible to receive a free TV licence. (6–8)
The number of people in Hendon who received a Winter Fuel payment for Winter 2002–03 was 17,715 and we expect the number to be around the same for 2003–04. Of that figure 4,055 were over age 80 and therefore would be eligible to receive an additional payment. (9–11)
Notes:
1. Source: IAD Information Centre.
2. The number for MIG refers to benefit units where the claimant and/or their partner are aged 60 or over.
3. The figure for the number of MIG claimants is based on a 5 per cent. sample and therefore subject to sampling variation.
4. This figure has been rounded to the nearest hundred and quoted in thousands.
5. The total number of sight tests paid for by the NHS for this constituency was 146,380.
6. Source: IAD Information Centre 5 per cent sample
7. TV licence figures based on 5 per cent. data taken from the Client Group Analysis of the population over State Pension age as at 31 May 2003, and are therefore subject to a degree of sampling variation. These figures are expressed in thousands and rounded to the nearest hundred.
8. As only one TV licence is required per household, the number of free TV licences issued may be lower than the number of people entitled to one. Some households may contain more than one person aged 75 and over and not all households with a person aged 75 or over will have a television.
9. Source: IAD Information Centre 100 per cent. Sample
711W10. Winter Fuel Payment figures taken from the Matching Intelligence Data Analysis Service Winter Fuels Payment 2002/2003 exercise 100 per cent data. 100 per cent data figures are rounded to the nearest five.
11. Key benefits are Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Severe Disablement Allowance, Incapacity Benefit, Minimum Income Guarantee and State Pension.