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Retirement Incomes
Mr. Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the average wealth and income, other than the basic state retirement pension, of people retiring at the present time and at convenient intervals in the past 30 years. [15844]
Mr. Heald:
The latest available information is contained in "The Pensioners' Incomes Series 1994-95". This shows that recently retired pensioner units 1 have a mean average gross income of £235.60 per week, 58 per cent. of which is from a source other than state benefits 2 . The earliest data available form the Pensioners' Income
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Series is 1974 (23 November 1994, Official Report, columns 171-76). Information for intervening years has been published in the annual "Social Security Statistics" since 1993. Further details about pensioner households are given in the annual "Households Below Average Income" statistics.
Copies of all these publications are available in the Library.
Mr. Alan Howarth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the levels of gross earnings at which (a) single people, (b) lone parents, (c) couples without children and (d) couples with children face marginal deduction rates in excess of 100 per cent. for (e) 1996-97 and (f) 1997-98; and what are the numbers affected in each group. [16301]
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Mr. Roger Evans:
The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is as follows.
The gross earnings at which different family types face marginal deduction rates in excess of 100 per cent. depends on the individual characteristics of the claim.
Information on the marginal deduction rates faced by certain family types across a range of gross earnings is available in the April 1996 tax benefit model tables, a copy of which is available in the Library.
Mr. Martyn Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment his Department has made of the presence of (a) hazardous materials and (b) ozone-depleting substances within those buildings his Department occupies; and if he will make a statement. [16315]
Mr. Roger Evans:
Assessments have been completed on hazardous materials in buildings we occupy under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1994 and risks identified have been recorded as required by the legislation.
Arrangements for storage and disposal of hazardous waste conform to the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
An assessment has been made of ozone-depleting substances and a target date set for replacement.
The policy of this Department is to minimise the use of substances which are hazardous to human health or to the environment and to eliminate the use of all ozone-depleting substances such as chlorofluorocarbons and halons.
Mr. Alan Howarth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people under the age of 25 years have had their housing benefit reduced to single room rent levels; what savings in public expenditure have so far been made as a result of this policy; and what evaluation has been undertaken by his Department of the impact of the policy on the finances and housing situation of young people. [16302]
Mr. Roger Evans:
The information requested is not yet available.
However, the introduction of the single room rent restriction is being monitored. Information on the operation of the changes, based on data supplied by a sample of local authorities, will be available in late summer.
The Department is putting into place a series of research projects for evaluation of the long term effects of the changes. Results are expected next year.
Mr. Howarth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the amount of housing benefit fraud detected by local authorities during 1995-96; how many claimants were involved; what was the average amount of overpaid benefit per claimant; and how many prosecutions were instigated in that year. [16665]
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Mr. Heald:
The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is as follows.
The amount of housing benefit fraud detected by local authorities in 1995-96 was £186 million 1 .
There were 114,300 overpayments, totalling £43 million, which were attributable to fraud 2 .
Figures on the number of prosecutions instigated are currently being processed and will be available in early March.
Mr. Harvey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many recipients there currently are of housing benefit in (a) north Devon and (b) Devon; and how many of these are under 25 years of age. [15003]
Mr. Evans:
The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is as follows.
In May 1996, there were 6,100 housing benefit recipients in the North Devon district council area and 78,200 in the whole of Devon.
Notes:
Mr. Austin Walker:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the amount of housing benefit subsidy paid to local authorities in England in respect of rent allowances in each of the years from 1991-92 to 1996-97; what is his estimate for 1997-98; and what is his estimate of the housing benefit subsidy that would have been paid in each of those years if local authorities had continued to receive 97 per cent. subsidy. [15163]
Mr. Evans
[holding answer 10 February 1997]: The information is in the table.
I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave him on 30 January, Official Report, column 362.
Notes:
1 A pensioner unit is defined as a single person over state pension age or a couple where the man, defined as the head, is over SPA. A recently retired pensioner unit is defined as a pensioner unit where the head of the benefit unit is less than five years older than SPA.
2 Source: The Pensioners' Income Series 1994-95.
1. Figures quoted are at July 1994 prices.
Notes:
1 Based on the weekly benefit savings method of accounting. No central records are kept of the number of claimants involved in detected housing benefit fraud.
2 The number of overpayments does not reflect the number of claimants involved in each fraud, so it is not possible to give an average amount per claimant.
Source:
Local authority 1995-96 subsidy claims.
1. Estimates of the numbers of recipients aged under 25 are not available below regional level.
2. Recipients may be a single person or a couple.
| Year | Subsidy paid (£ million) |
|---|---|
| 1991-92 | 1,926 |
| 1992-93 | 2,630 |
| 1993-94 | 3,444 |
| 1994-95 | 4,217 |
| 1995-96 | (11)4,511 |
| 1996-97 | (11)4,645 |
| 1997-98 | (11)5,065 |
Notes:
(11) Figures are estimated.
Sources:
1991-92 to 1994-95--DSS appropriation accounts.
1995-96 to 1997-98--based on figures contained in table 1 of the social security departmental report, "The Government's Expenditure Plans 1996-97 to 1998-99".
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Child Care Disregard
Mr. Alan Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 15 January, Official Report columns 254-5, if he will indicate how many claimants would gain from extending the child care disregard to those on family credit subject to a 70 per cent. and 50 per cent. taper. [16668]
Mr. Roger Evans: The information is as follows:
| Number of gainers | |
|---|---|
| 70 per cent. taper | 12,000 |
| 50 per cent. taper | 12,000 |
1. Figures are based on the May 1996 family credit statistics, and use actual child care recipients at that time.
2. Estimates do not include behavioural effects.
Mr. Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his latest estimate of (a) the cost and (b) the numbers gaining if the child care disregard with (i) family credit and (ii) disability working allowance applied to each child under age 11 years. [16671]
Mr. Evans: I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave him on 24 January, Official Report, column 772.
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