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Pensions
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the value of the basic state pension for (a) someone of minimum state pension age and (b) someone aged 80 years as a percentage of average earnings in (i) 1980 and (ii) 1998; and if he will provide corresponding estimates for (1) all other EU countries, (2) all non-EU G7 countries and (3) other OECD nations for which similar figures are available. [60923]
Mr. Denham: The information on the value of the UK pension as percentage of average earnings is in the tables. Information on other countries is not available in the format requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
| Year | Basic pension at April (£) | Average Earnings at April (£) | Basic pension as a percentage of average earnings (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | |||
| Minimum pension age | 23.30 | 109.50 | 21.3 |
| Recipient aged 80 | 23.55 | 109.50 | 21.5 |
| 1998 | |||
| Minimum pension age | 64.70 | 384.50 | 16.8 |
| Recipient aged 80 | 64.95 | 384.50 | 16.9 |
Note:
The average earnings of full time employees was calculated using the New Earnings Survey produced by the Office for National Statistics
Attendance Allowance
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will take steps to provide that the affirmative statutory instrument procedure is used for changes in attendance allowance. [60881]
Mr. Timms:
Proposals for Attendance Allowance would follow the normal procedure to change the eligibility criteria for Social Security benefits. This allows for regulations which are subject to the negative resolution Parliamentary procedure.
27 Nov 1998 : Column: 30
Mr. Webb:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate his Department has made of the extra numbers of cold weather payments which would have been paid for the winter of 1997 to 1998 if the wind chill factor had been incorporated into the measure of temperature, for each region within Great Britain. [61153]
Angela Eagle:
No criterion combining wind speed and external air temperature has been prescribed on which to make such an estimate.
Mr. Webb:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the amount of each means-tested benefit which is currently unclaimed by pensioners for each region within Great Britain. [61155]
Mr. Denham:
The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is set out in the table.
| Government region | Amount of Income Support unclaimed | Amount of Council Tax Benefit unclaimed |
|---|---|---|
| North East | 30 | 20 |
| North West and Merseyside | 100 | 50 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 65 | 35 |
| East Midlands | 40 | 30 |
| West Midlands | 60 | 40 |
| Eastern | 50 | 30 |
| London | 80 | 60 |
| South East | 85 | 60 |
| South West | 65 | 40 |
| Wales | 80 | 20 |
| Scotland | 55 | 50 |
| Total | 710 | 435 |
Notes:
1. All estimates are rounded to the nearest 5 million.
2. Due to small sample sizes across all regions, estimates for Housing Benefit are not available.
3. These figures do not take account of potential biases. The true figure may therefore be higher or lower than those quoted.
Source:
1996-97 Family Resources Survey
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioners are in receipt of income support and are (a) between 65 and 69 years of age, (b) between 70 and 74 years of age, (c) between 75 and 79 years of age and (d) 80 or over years of age in each region within Great Britain. [61147]
Mr. Denham:
The information is in the table.
27 Nov 1998 : Column: 29
Notes:
1. Figures are based on a 5 per cent. sample of all cases and as such are subject to a degree of sampling error. For example, for an estimate of 10,000 the figure could lie between 9,100 and 10,900.
2. Figures do not sum due to rounding to the nearest thousand.
27 Nov 1998 : Column: 31
27 Nov 1998 : Column: 31
Mr. Webb:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the cost of raising the lower capital limit for income support for pensioner claimants from £3,000 to (a) the level it would have been if it has been uprated by prices since 1988, (b) £10,000, (c) £15,000 and (d) £20,000, assuming no upper limit in all cases. [61148]
Mr. Denham:
The estimated Income Support costs in 1999-2000 are (a) £50 million; (b) £110 million; (c) £135 million; (d) £155 million.
Notes:
1. Variant (a) has been based upon raising the lower capital limit to £4,662. This is based upon the assumption of the £3,000 lower capital limit being uprated by the increase in the RPI between April 1988 and September 1998 (for uprating), to the nearest pound.
2. These figures are rounded to the nearest £5 million and are based upon the Department's Policy Simulation Model of income-related benefits. This model draws data from the 1995-96 Family Resources Survey, uprated to 1999-2000 levels, and calibrates results to forecast benefit caseloads consistent with the Comprehensive Spending Review forecasts.
3. Estimates relate only to Income Support costs. No assumptions has been made about how this might feasibly be aligned through the other income-related benefits.
4. For capital costings, estimates are further adjusted using May 1997 administrative data in order to bring results into line with known reported capital of benefit cases. In the absence of any other information, the same adjustments have been applied to estimated existing gainers and floaters-on. Estimates from household surveys based on reported capital holdings are subject to low levels of response and high levels of imputation. Consequently they should not be interpreted as precise point estimates, but rather as indicative of broad magnitudes.
5. Estimates do not include cases in Residential Care and Nursing Homes.
Widows' Benefits
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what will be the effect on the number of people dependent on means-tested benefits of his proposed reforms to widows' benefits. [60926]
Angela Eagle: Information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is as set out.
The increase in the numbers on each of the means tested benefits following introduction of Bereavement Allowance for women is less than 5,000 in each of the first two years. In the third year, the increase for Income Support/Income Based Jobseeker's Allowance is estimated to be 10,000, the increase for each of the other means-tested benefits is less than 5,000.
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The reduction in the numbers on each of the means- tested benefits following introduction of Bereavement Allowance for men is less than 5,000 in each of the first three years.
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