§ Mr. WoodwardTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what percentage of the adult population the Government estimates have claimed the basic state pension in each year since 1990. [186828]
§ Malcolm WicksThe information is not available in the format requested. However, such information as is available is in the following table.
1125W
Recipients of basic state pension living
in GB
As a percentage of GB population aged
18 and over
September 1990 9,380,900 22 September 1991 9,407,000 22 September 1992 9,450,800 22 September 1993 9,458,200 22 September 1994 9,458,900 22 September 1995 9,541,200 22 September 1996 9,679,400 22 September 1997 9,801,700 23 March 1998 9,841,100 23 September 1999 10,030,400 23 September 2000 10,086,600 23 September 2001 10,163,600 23 September 2002 10,224,200 23 September 2003 10,317,700 23 Notes: 1. Recipient figures are rounded to the nearest 100. 2. Recipient figures are derived from a 5 per cent. sample of cased taken from the Pension Strategy Computer System as at 31 September each year, except for 1998 when the figure is derived from a 5 per cent. sample of cases as at 31 March.
3. Recipient figures exclude persons in receipt of only: non-contributory State Pensions; Graduated Retirement Benefit; and additional State Pension. 4. Population figures are taken mid-year from mid-1990 onwards. Population data sources are: Office for National Statistics (ONS); and General Register Office Scotland (GROS). 5. As no population figures are yet available for 2003, mid-2002 figures have been used.