§ Mr. Peter DuncanTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of pension credit payments are being paid into Post Office card accounts. 186257]
§ Jane KennedyAt 30 June the number of live pension credit accounts was 2,548,895, of which 198,230 or 7.8 per cent. were paid to a Post Office card account. Of the total, 893,835 were not previously receiving446W minimum income guarantee. Of these cases, 40,110, or 4.5 per cent. were being paid to a Post Office card account.
§ Mr. WatersonTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people eligible for pension credit have not taken it up in each month since October 2003; and how much money this represents in each case. [184940]
§ Malcolm WicksThe information is not available in the form requested. The table sets out numbers of pension credit recipients in each month between October 2003 and June 2004, with the average weekly award. We estimate that approximately 3.75 million households, corresponding to around 4.85 million individuals, are likely to be eligible for pension credit in Great Britain in 2004–05. This estimate, rounded to the nearest 50,000 households or individuals, is subject to a wide margin of error and should be used as a broad indication of the likely eligible population only.
To help ensure that people do not lose out, entitlement to pension credit can, where appropriate, be backdated by up to 12 months.
Pension credit recipients, Great Britain, october 2003 to june 2004 Households Individuals Average weekly award (£) October 2003 1,795,875 2,109,200 47.10 November 2003 2,056.010 2,454,640 46.40 December 2003 2,115,195 2,533,960 44.20 January 2004 2,172.280 2,610,450 43.50 February 2004 2,264.115 2,731,480 42.60 March 2004 2,401,850 2,907,775 41.34 April 2004 2,445.660 2,961,885 41.67 May 2004 2,496.970 3,028,390 42.42 June 2004 2,548.895 3,094.870 41.99 Note: 1. October 2003 figures are as at 17 October 2003. Figures from November 2003 to June 2004 are mid-monthly and have been rated up to give month end estimates. 2. Figures are rounded 10 the nearest 5. 3. Individual recipients include a number of partners under age 60.
§ Mr. GillTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many pensioners are estimated to be eligible for the pension credit in Leicester South;[186263]
(2) how many pensioners are claiming the pension credit in Leicester South. [186264]
§ Malcolm WicksInformation on the number of people likely to be eligible for pension credit is not available at constituency level. However, we estimate that approximately 250,000 households in the East Midlands region, corresponding to approximately 350,000 individuals (rounded to the nearest 50,000), are likely to be eligible for pension credit in 2004–05. At the end of June, 5,135 pensioner households in Leicester South, comprising 6,415 individuals (rounded to the nearest five), were in receipt of pension credit. The corresponding figures for the East Midlands at the same date were 182,570 households and 224,435 individuals in receipt of pension credit.
§ Ms KeebleTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in Northampton, North have received home visits from the Pension Service to assist them with claiming pension credit. [185785]
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§ Malcolm WicksThe table shows the number of home visits undertaken by the local service of the Pension Service in the Northampton local service cluster, which includes both Northampton, North and Northampton, South, between April 2003 and June 2004. All visits undertaken since April 2003 have covered pension credit.
Home visits by the Pension Service local service, Northampton cluster, April 2003-june 2004 Number of visits 2003 April 120 May 117 June 150 July 171 August 148 September 159 October 206 November 161 December 88 2004 January 153 February 134 March 336 April 122 May 170 June 153