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30 Jun 2003 : Column 84W—continued
Pension Service (Scotland)
Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many employees of the Pension Service are based in Scotland. [119347]
Malcolm Wicks: As at 31 March 2003, the Pension Service employed a total of 17,777 permanent staff and 599 casuals. Of the total staff. 1,942 permanent staff (11 per cent.) and 88 casual staff (15 per cent.) are based in Scotland.
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Pensions
Mr. Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average change in (a) the state pension and (b) pensioner income was in each financial year since 1991–92. [121738]
Malcolm Wicks: The information is not available on the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table.
| Financialyear | Basic state pension cash terms (£) | Basic state pension 2003–04 price terms (£) | Annual real increase of basic state pension (%) | Pensioner incomes (£) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991–92 | 52.00 | 70.79 | 4.2 | n/a |
| 1992–93 | 54.15 | 70.69 | -0.1 | n/a |
| 1993–94 | 56.10 | 72.30 | 2.3 | n/a |
| 1994–95 | 57.60 | 72.38 | 0.1 | 195 |
| 1995–96 | 58.85 | 71.57 | -1.1 | 194 |
| 1996–97 | 61.15 | 72.61 | 1.5 | 205 |
| 1997–98 | 62.45 | 72.40 | -0.3 | 207 |
| 1998–99 | 64.70 | 72.10 | -0.4 | 214 |
| 1999–2000 | 66.75 | 73.21 | 1.5 | 222 |
| 2000–01 | 67.50 | 71.90 | -1.8 | 228 |
| 2001–02 | 72.50 | 75.89 | 5.5 | 240 |
| 2002–03 | 75.50 | 77.86 | 2.6 | not yet available |
| 2003–04 | 77.45 | 77.45 | -0.5 | not yet available |
Note:
1. The basic state pension is uprated annually each April based on the increase in the retail price index from September to September. The real value of the basic state pension has been calculated using the increase in the retail price index from April to April. This inevitably means that the percentage change shows small increases and reductions that would not otherwise appear if the same RPI period is used for both figures. These small variations do not affect pensioner living standards as any differences in inflation are automatically adjusted in the following year's uprating.
2. Information about pensioner incomes is taken from the pensioner income series 2001–02, table 1(ii), page 32. This series is designed to provide a broad overall picture of patterns and trends in pensioners' income, and is not appropriate for measuring year-on-year changes because such comparisons are not statistically reliable
3. Pensioner incomes prior to 1994 are not available on a consistent basis
4. Pensioner incomes shown are mean net income of single pensioners and pensioner couples before housing costs in April 2003–04 price terms
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list, for each constituency in Wiltshire (a) the numbers of pensioners aged 80 and over in receipt of state pensions and (b) the total number in receipt of state pensions; and what percentage of the total number pensioners aged 80 and over represent. [120983]
Malcolm Wicks: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is shown in the table:
| Thousands | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Total number of State Pension recipients aged 80 and over | Total number of State Pension recipients | Percentage of those over 80 in receipt of State Pension | |
| North Wiltshire | 4.2 | 17.5 | 24.0 |
| Salisbury | 5.6 | 20.5 | 27.3 |
(14) Numbers are rounded to the nearest hundred and are expressed in thousands.
(15) Numbers are based on 5 per cent sample, and are therefore subject to a degree of sampling variation.
(16) Parliamentary Constituencies are allocated using the relevant Office of National Statistics postcode directory.
Source:Pensions Strategy Computer System as at 30 September 2002.
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Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if it is his policy to link the basic state pension to the retail prices index for the remainder of this Parliament. [121124]
Malcolm Wicks: We have already announced that we will increase the basic state pension by 2.5 per cent or the Retail Prices Index (RPI), whichever is higher, for the remainder of this Parliament. Over the last three years the basic state pension has been increased by more than the RPI.
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to pages 25–6 of Working and Saving for Retirement: Action on Occupational Pensions, if it is his intention to propose legislation to require the selection of Member Nominated Trustees to be fair and open. [121125]
Malcolm Wicks: No. As page 25 of that document states, we have decided to take forward the more radical of the two options on simplifying Member Nominated Trustee (MNT) legislation set out in the Technical Paper which accompanied the Green Paper 'Simplicity, Security and Choice: Working and Saving for Retirement' (Cm 5677). This is the option under which minimal legislation will provide for the outcome—one third MNTs in each scheme—but without prescribing how schemes must arrive at that outcome.
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claimants in receipt of UK basic state pension (a) now, (b) five and (c) 10 years ago were resident (i) in EU countries, (ii) in Commonwealth countries, (iii) in the USA and (iv) elsewhere in the world outside the UK; what assessment he has made of the trend of pensioners settling overseas and its implications for UK state pension policy; and if he will make a statement. [121573]
Malcolm Wicks: The number of claimants in receipt of UK basic State Pension resident in the requested countries abroad and the specified intervals is shown in the table.
| Current | Five years ago | Ten years ago | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ED countries | 262,599 | 202,697 | 94,950 |
| Commonwealth countries | 521,924 | 465,391 | 217,995 |
| USA | 120,691 | 102,258 | 46,817 |
| Rest of the world | 20,147 | 20,696 | 10,790 |
Sources:The current and five years ago statistics is taken from the Pension Strategy Computer System (PSCS) Overseas Population statistics.
The figures from 10 years ago is taken from the Method of Payment statistics produced by Existing Pension System (EPS)
People are free to choose where they want to live and they do so for a variety of reasons. If they have acquired entitlement to a UK State Pension, it will be paid, once claimed, regardless of where they live during their retirement.
However, individuals who are considering moving abroad can seek information and advice on the implications of doing so on entitlement to benefits in a number of DWP publications.
Leaflet NP46 'A guide to State Pensions' (which is widely available in Social Security Offices and Post Offices) advises pensioners of the effect of going abroad on their State Pension.
Besides giving general information, it also advises people who are thinking of moving abroad to get leaflet GL29 'Going abroad and social security benefits' from their Social Security Office. In addition, the Department's International Pensions Centre provides oral and written advice to people who intend to move abroad.
Information is also available on the DWP website-www.dwp.gov.uk
30 Jun 2003 : Column 87W
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what estimate he has made of the number of pensioners in (a) Shrewsbury and Atcham and (b) Shropshire who were eligible for the minimum income guarantee but did not claim it in the last year for which figures are available; [121725]
- (2) how many pensioners did not claim their full level of entitlements in (a) Shrewsbury and Atcham and (b) Shropshire in each year since 1997. [121739]
Malcolm Wicks: Estimates of the number of pensioners eligible for, but not claiming the Minimum Income Guarantee, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit are not available below national level. These figures are included in the publication "Income-Related Benefits—Estimates of Take Up in 2000/2001, copies of which are available in the library.
There is no reliable current estimate of the level of take-up of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Attendance Allowance (AA) and an accurate estimate cannot be made because entitlement to the benefits is not based on diagnosis but on the care and mobility needs arising from disability which can vary widely between individuals.
Take up estimates for Carers Allowance could only be produced at disproportionate cost.
Information about the number of people who may be entitled to a State Pension but have not claimed it is not available.
Poverty
Mr. Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answer of 9 June 2003, Official Report, column 703W, on poverty definition, whether the new general definition of poverty will be announced rather than the specific measurement of child poverty. [121262]
Maria Eagle: 'Measuring Child Poverty: a consultation document' was specific in its intention to cover only child poverty. We have a pledge to eradicate child poverty by 2020 and we need to ensure that we can monitor long-term progress in the best possible way. Our final conclusions will therefore centre on child poverty measures only.
'Opportunity for all: fourth annual report' (Cm 5598), sets out the Government's strategy for tackling poverty and social exclusion and presents the latest information on the range of indicators used to measure progress against this strategy. The report includes over 50 indicators covering children and
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young people, people of working age, pensioners and communities. There is no "general definition of poverty" in this set.
All reports are available in the Library.
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