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Second Tier Pensions

Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will calculate the second tier pension entitlement under (a) SERPS, (b) the first phase of the State Second Pension and (c) the second phase of the State Second Pension for those earning (i) £15,000, (ii) £17,000 and (iii) £19,000. [78867]

Mr. Timms: The information is in the table.

				£
	Second tier pension entitlement in 2051
		State Second Pension
		Phase 1	Phase 2
Annual Earnings	SERPS	Carries on to	Contracted in	Contracted out (16)
15,000	46	61	50	61
17,000	51	63	50	63
19,000	54	65	50	65

(16) Assumes that an individual contracts out of the State Second Pension and contributes only their rebate to an appropriate personal pension.

Notes:

1. The information is based on the thresholds set out in the Green Paper.

2. It is likely that the upper threshold of £18,500 contained in the Green Paper will be revised upwards following consultation to reflect the policy intention that higher earners should get broadly the same entitlement from phase 1 of State Second Pension as from SERPS.

3. The hypothetical individual in this example is assumed to; begin work at 16 years old in 2002, work for 49 years until retirement, earn the specified amounts in 1998 earnings terms throughout their working life.

4. Only National Insurance rebates are paid into the appropriate personal pension.

5. Real earnings growth is assumed to be 1.5 per cent.

6. Amounts are rounded to the nearest pound.

30 Mar 1999 : Column: 627

Non-pension Savings

Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made of the level of non-pension saving among those in the £9,000-£18,500 earnings range who are not currently members of an occupational or personal pension scheme. [78866]

Mr. Timms: Data drawn from the 1997-98 Family Resources Survey (GB) suggest that, of those earning between £9,000 and £18,500 in 1997-98 and who, at that time, were not a member of an occupational or personal pension scheme, 40 per cent. had no non-pension saving.

Notes:

1. The results are based on survey data, and are therefore subject to sampling error. In particular, information collected on pensions and other savings are subject to higher non-response and mis-reporting than other parts of the Family Resources Survey, and so these results should be treated as indicative of the likely order of magnitude only.

2. Figures rounded to the nearest 5 per cent.

Social Fund

Mr. Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many Social Fund claimants have reached the limit of £1,000 for a loan. [78807]

Angela Eagle: The information is not available in the format requested. However, in the financial year 1997-98, a total of 9,053 Social Fund loan applications were refused purely because the applicant had reached the loan limit of £1,000. This represents around 1 per cent. of all loan refusals.

Stakeholder Pensions

Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if the definition of earnings used to calculate the level of rebates for stakeholder pensions will include payments of working families tax credit. [78865]

Mr. Timms: No. It is expected that the earnings used for calculating rebates for stakeholder pension schemes will be the same as for other contracted-out pension schemes. Such earnings do not currently include any payment of Family Credit and will not include payments of Working Families Tax Credit when it is introduced.

Child Support Agency

Mr. Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many meetings he has had with hon. Members to discuss the Child Support Agency; how many complaints he has received about the Agency since 1 February; and when he plans next to visit the Agency. [79047]

Angela Eagle: My noble Friend Baroness Hollis of Heigham, the Minister with day to day responsibility for child support, has had a number of meetings with hon. Members to discuss the child support Green Paper proposals. In February 1999 the Child Support Agency received 3,682 complaints from individuals and hon. Members. My Ministerial colleagues and I have received 130 letters from hon. Members over the same period, though not all of these relate to operational issues. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Security is planning to visit the Child Support Agency again in the near future.

30 Mar 1999 : Column: 628

Family Incomes

Mr. Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will give the dates of (i) supplementary benefit and (ii) income support for (a) a couple with two children under 11 and (b) a lone parent with one child under 11 (1) in real terms and (2) as a proportion of average earnings at each uprating since 1979. [79054]

Angela Eagle: The information is in the table.

Rates of supplementary benefit for a couple both over 18 with 2 children under 11 in real terms and as a proportion of average earnings at each uprating since 1979

Uprating date	Supplementary benefit for a couple both over 18 with 2 children under 11 (£)	Real value (£)	Supplementary benefit as a percentage of earnings
November 1979	42.20	113.89	42.0
November 1980	49.20	115.14	40.9
November 1981	53.55	111.93	40.4
November 1982	59.20	116.45	41.6
November 1983	61.80	115.94	39.4
November 1984	64.75	115.76	38.8
November 1985	68.05	115.36	38.1
July 1986	68.80	114.71	36.4
April 1987	70.15	112.05	35.3

Note:

Ordinary scale rates used for married couple with two children aged 5-10. No account has been taken of any additional requirements

Rates of income support for a couple both over 18 with 2 children under 11 in real terms and as a proportion of average earnings at each uprating since 1979

Uprating date	Income support for a couple both over 18 with 2 children under 11 (£)	Real value (£)	Income support as a percentage of earnings
April 1988	79.10	121.57	36.2
April 1989	84.80	120.63	35.4
April 1990	89.65	116.52	34.1
April 1991	96.90	118.38	34.0
October 1991	97.40	117.23	32.9
April 1992	105.00	123.00	34.5
April 1993	108.75	125.77	34.3
April 1994	113.05	127.48	34.7
April 1995	115.15	125.66	34.2
April 1996	118.65	126.43	33.8
April 1997	121.75	126.66	33.1
April 1998	124.65	124.65	32.4

Rates of supplementary benefit for a lone parent with 1 child under 11 in real terms and as a proportion of average earnings at each uprating since 1979

Uprating date	Supplementary benefit for a lone parent with 1 child under 11 (£)	Real value (£)	Supplementary benefit as a percentage of earnings
November 1979	24.55	66.25	24.4
November 1980	28.60	66.93	23.8
November 1981	31.15	65.11	23.5
November 1982	34.45	67.77	24.2
November 1983	35.95	67.45	22.9
November 1984	37.65	67.31	22.5
November 1985	39.60	67.13	22.1
July 1986	40.00	66.69	21.2
April 1987	40.80	65.17	20.5

Note:

Ordinary scale rates for single person with 1 child aged 5-10. No account has been taken of any additional requirements

30 Mar 1999 : Column: 629

Rates of income support for a lone parent with 1 child under 11 in real terms and as a proportion of average earnings at each uprating since 1979

Uprating date	Income support for a lone parent with 1 child under 11 (£)	Real value (£)	Income support as a percentage of earnings
April 1988	54.00	82.99	24.7
April 1989	57.05	81.16	23.8
April 1990	60.50	78.64	23.0
April 1991	65.40	79.90	23.0
October 1991	66.40	79.92	22.5
April 1992	71.05	83.23	23.3
April 1993	73.60	85.12	23.2
April 1994	76.50	86.26	23.5
April 1995	77.90	85.01	23.2
April 1996	80.10	85.35	22.8
April 1997	81.80	85.10	22.3
April 1998	83.40	83.40	21.7

Notes:

1. Benefit rates shown are applicable at uprating dates.

2. Real values calculated via use of Retail Price Index (all items) produced by the Office for National Statistics.

3. Average Earnings for all employees calculated via the New Earnings Survey and Average Earnings Index as produced by the Office for National Statistics.

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