| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Pensioners
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 8 February 1999, Official Report, column 68, on pensioner incomes, if the information requested is now available. [75028]
Mr. Timms: The information requested is now available and is in the tables.
| Single male pensioners | Single female pensioners | Pensioner couples | All pensioner benefit units | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60-64 | 90 | 100 | 170 | 360 |
| 65-69 | 70 | 220 | 200 | 490 |
| 70-74 | 70 | 300 | 150 | 520 |
| 75-79 | 80 | 330 | 140 | 550 |
| 80+ | 100 | 550 | 130 | 770 |
| Total | 400 | 1,500 | 790 | 2,690 |
| Single male pensioners | Single female pensioners | Pensioner couples | All pensioner benefit units | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60-64 | 20 | 20 | 90 | 130 |
| 65-69 | 40 | 70 | 190 | 290 |
| 70-74 | 30 | 130 | 250 | 400 |
| 75-79 | 40 | 130 | 190 | 360 |
| 80+ | 50 | 190 | 150 | 390 |
| Total | 170 | 540 | 870 | 1,580 |
| Single male pensioners | Single female pensioners | Pensioner couples | All pensioner benefit units | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60-64 | 110 | 160 | 910 | 1,180 |
| 65-69 | 120 | 220 | 590 | 930 |
| 70-74 | 100 | 240 | 420 | 760 |
| 75-79 | 80 | 190 | 190 | 450 |
| 80+ | 90 | 190 | 130 | 400 |
| Total | 490 | 990 | 2,240 | 3,720 |
10 Mar 1999 : Column: 253
| Single male pensioners | Single female pensioners | Pensioner couples | All pensioner benefit units | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60-64 | 20 | 40 | 50 | 100 |
| 65-69 | 20 | 30 | 20 | 80 |
| 70-74 | 20 | 50 | 10 | 80 |
| 75-79 | 20 | 30 | * | 50 |
| 80+ | 20 | 50 | 10 | 70 |
| Total | 90 | 200 | 90 | 390 |
Notes:
1. Figures are given to the nearest 10,000 pensioner benefit units, although they are not necessarily accurate to that degree. Figures of less than 5,000 pensioners are denoted by '*'.
2. Figures may not sum to row or column totals due to rounding.
3. Figures should be treated with caution since taxpaying status is not directly measured by the Family Resources Survey, but has been imputed using a model based on policies announced up to and including the 1998 budget statement.
4. Pensioner benefit units are defined as single people and couples (married or cohabiting) where at least one partner is aged over 59. Couples are allocated to age bands according to the age of the older partner.
5. Taxpaying pensioner benefit units are defined as those where at least one individual in the benefit unit is modelled as liable to income tax.
Source:
Family Resources Survey 1996-97
Family Resources Survey
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate is provided by his Department's Family Resources Survey of the number and proportion of (a) local authority tenants, (b) other social tenants, (c) private renters and (d) owner occupiers who are families with dependent children. [75168]
Angela Eagle: The information is in the table.
| Tenure type | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Local authority tenants | 1,250,000 | 28 |
| Other social tenants | 330,000 | 30 |
| Private renters | 410,000 | 21 |
| Owner occupiers | 3,940,000 | 25 |
Notes:
1. "Local authority tenants" were defined as those households where the landlord was either a local authority/council, a New Town development or Scottish Homes and where the property did not go with the job of anyone in the household. "Other social tenants" was defined as those households where the landlord was either a Housing Association, a co-operative or a charitable trust and where the property did not go with the job of anyone in the household. "Private renters" were defined as those households where the landlord was an employer, friend or relative of a household member, or another private landlord or organisation. "Owner occupiers" were identified as those households that were either owned outright, being bought with the help of a mortgage or loan, or were part rented and part mortgaged.
2. "Households with families and dependant children" were defined as those households where there was at least one couple or lone parent with at least one dependant child. Pensioner couples with any dependant children were also included in this definition.
3. Absolute values are rounded to the nearest ten thousand. Percentages are rounded to the nearest integer.
4. Estimates are subject to sampling error and to variability in non-response.
Source:
1996-97 Family Resources Survey (GB).
10 Mar 1999 : Column: 254
Cold Weather Payments
Mr. Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the locations at which temperature readings were taken for the cold weather payments scheme in 1998-99. [75260]
Angela Eagle: 72 weather stations are being used in the scheme this winter.
A schedule of the weather stations and postcodes linked to each of them is contained in the Social Fund Cold Weather Payments (General) Amendment Regulations 1998 (SI 1998 No. 2455), a copy of which is available in the Library.
Overseas Pensioners
Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what discussions he has held with other Governments about extending bilateral agreements to protect the position of UK overseas pensioners; and if he will make a statement. [75237]
Mr. Timms: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has held no discussions about extending bilateral Social Security agreements to cover uprating of UK State Pensions paid to pensioners living overseas. Bilateral agreements can be the means of providing annual increases of Retirement Pension, but that is not their primary purpose. An agreement is not strictly necessary to allow payment of pension increases, as that could be achieved through changing UK domestic legislation.
Child Benefit
Mr. Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many children will benefit from this April's increase in child benefit in (a) the Medway towns and (b) Chatham and Aylesford. [75554]
Angela Eagle: The administration of Child Benefit is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency, Peter Mathison. He will write to my hon. Friend.
Letter from Alexis Cleveland to Mr. Jonathan Shaw, dated 9 March 1999:
Mr. Jenkins:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many families in (a) the Tamworth constituency and (b) Staffordshire will receive the increase in child benefit. [75656]
Angela Eagle:
The administration of Child Benefit is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency, Peter Mathison. He will write to my hon. Friend.
10 Mar 1999 : Column: 255
The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked Peter Mathison to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many children will benefit from this April's increase in child benefit in (a) the Medway towns and (b) Chatham and Aylesford. As Mr. Mathison is away from the office on leave, I am replying.
Unfortunately the information to identify families, by region, who are receiving Child Benefit is not readily available. These figures could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
I can however, explain the new rates of Child Benefit from April 1999. They will be £14.40 for the eldest child and £9.60 for each subsequent child. The increase for the eldest child includes the extra £2.50 a week announced in the March 1998 budget, plus uprating. This is an overall increase of £3.25 for a family with two children.
I am sorry I could not be of more help on this occasion.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |