---

23 Feb 2004 : Column 320W—continued

Means-testing

Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his estimate is of the total cost of administering means-testing for pensioners in 2003–04; and by how much pensions could be increased if the proceeds of abolishing means tests were transferred to pensions. [155469]

Malcolm Wicks: Information on the total cost of administering means-testing for pensioners is not currently available in the format requested. In accordance with the requirements of Resource Accounting and Budgeting the Department now accounts for its administration and benefit expenditure by Strategic Objective, as set out in its Public Service Agreements (PSA), and by individual Requests for Resources (RfRs), as set out in the Departmental Estimates and Accounts.

This Government's priority is to target money on the poorest pensioners. Almost half of the extra money to be spent on pensioners in 2004–05 will be spent on the poorest third.

As a result of the Minimum Income Guarantee and now Pension Credit, the poorest third of pensioners will be around £600 per year better off on average than had the equivalent amount been spent on increasing the Basic State Pension (BSP).

We are planning to spend around £12.6 billion in 2004–05 on pensioners through income-related benefits including Pension Credit, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit.

If this spending was transferred to pensions, the full Basic State pension could be increased by around £25 per week in 2004–05. However poorer pensioners could face large losses, losing Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit as well as Pension Credit. Those not eligible for the full Basic State Pension would not get the full £25 increase, and those without any entitlement to the Basic State Pension could be left with no income or state support whatsoever.

Pensioners

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the pensioner population is in (a) the East Midlands and (b) England. [155638]

Malcolm Wicks: The figures requested are in the table.

	Pensioner population
East Midlands	784,000
England	6,145,000

Notes:

1. The figures are from the Mid-Year population figures, 2002.

2. Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand.

3. 'Pensioner' is defined as those over state pension age.

Source:

Office for National Statistics

Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in East Devon are dependent on benefits; and what percentage of entitled pensioners in East Devon have taken up their benefits. [155326]

Malcolm Wicks: The information is not available in the format requested.

23 Feb 2004 : Column 321W

In May 2003, 29,200 pensioners in the East Devon constituency were in receipt of a key benefit. For the majority of these, 23,200, state pension was the only key benefit being received.

Key benefits are Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Incapacity Benefit, Minimum Income Guarantee, State Pension, Severe Disablement Allowance and Housing Benefit.

As at the end of January 2004 there were 3,437 Pension Credit households in East Devon parliamentary constituency. Information on the number of people who are eligible for Pension Credit is not available in respect of individual constituencies.

Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he last met pensioner groups in Scotland. [155477]

Malcolm Wicks: Members of the ministerial team visit Scotland to discuss pension issues and have met with pensioner groups. In addition, the Department meets with representatives from pensioner groups in Scotland on a regular basis through various channels—including the Partnership Against Poverty Scotland group and the Pensions Forum which is held annually in Scotland and which members of the ministerial team attend, the last was held in Edinburgh in October.

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in the Twickenham constituency (a) are in receipt of winter fuel payments, (b) were in receipt of the minimum income guarantee in 2003 and (c) have applied for and been granted pension credit. [154951]

Malcolm Wicks: The information is not available in the form requested.

Information on winter fuel payments for individual constituencies for 2003–04 will not be available until this winter's exercise is complete but will be provided to the hon. Member and placed in the Library when it becomes available.

The number of pensioner households in the Twickenham constituency in receipt of minimum income guarantee in August 2003 was 1,600 and receiving pension credit as at 31 January 2004 is 1,951. Numbers of applications for pension credit are not available at regional, county or constituency level.

Notes:

1. MIG figures are based on a 5 per cent. sample and therefore subject to sampling variation.

2. MIG claimants are benefit units where the claimant and/or their partner are aged 60 or over, therefore figure will include some claimants aged under 60.

3. MIG figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.

Source:

IAD Information Centre, 5 per cent. and 100 per cent. sample.

Post Office Accounts

Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to ensure that existing bank account holders do not have to open a different bank account in order to receive their benefits from the Post Office. [152137]

23 Feb 2004 : Column 322W

Mr. Pond: The Government want as many people as possible to be able to do their banking at Post Office branches and welcomes Post Office Ltd.'s efforts to secure agreements with other banks. The decision is ultimately a commercial one which rests with the individual institutions.

Universal banking services already provide access to the basic bank accounts of every High Street bank plus the nationwide Building Society at Post Office branches as well as the Post Office card account. In addition, more than 20 million customers of Lloyds/TSB, Barclays and Alliance and Leicester can access their accounts electronically at Post Office branches.

Also current accounts customers of Alliance and Leicester, Barclays, Lloyds/TSB the Co-operative Bank and the internet banks smile and cahoot can access paper-based banking services which enables them to cash cheques at Post Office branches, free of charge.

State Pensioners (Overseas Territories)

Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many people are in receipt of the UK state pension in each of the British Overseas Territories; [153495]

(2) if he will list those British Overseas Territories where citizens receiving the UK state pension have their pensions frozen; [153496]

(3) if he will estimate the cost of waiving the frozen pension rule in each British Overseas Territory in which citizens receiving the UK state pension have their pensions frozen; [153497]

(4) how many citizens living abroad and receiving frozen UK state pensions reside in (a) Canada and (b) the United States of America. [153498]

Malcolm Wicks: Information on the number of people in receipt of the UK state pension in the British Overseas Territories other than those living in the Sovereign Base Areas on Cyprus as at January 2004 is set out in the table.

Territory	Number
Anguilla	148
Bermuda	560
British Antarctic Territory	0
British Indian Ocean Territory	0
British Virgin Islands	42
Cayman Islands	95
Falkland Islands (including South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands)	37
Gibraltar	894
Montserrat	154
Pitcairn Islands	0
St. Helena and Dependencies	71
Turks and Caicos Islands	15

Pensioners living in the Sovereign Base Areas on Cyprus cannot be separately identified from others living in the Republic of Cyprus.

Pensioners living in the countries set out in the table other than those living in Bermuda, Gibraltar and the Sovereign Base Areas on Cyprus have their UK state pension frozen. The estimated cost to unfreeze these

23 Feb 2004 : Column 323W

pensions, without paying arrears, would be less than £500,000 for 2003–04 based on a 5 per cent. sample. We are unable to estimate the cost for each territory because of the numbers affected.

There are currently around 150,000 UK citizens now residing in Canada in receipt of a frozen UK state pension. UK citizens now residing in the United States of America do not have their UK state pension frozen.

Notes:

1. Caseloads are taken from the Pensions Strategy Computer System.

2. Costs are estimated using DWP Administrative Data.

Statutory Sick Pay

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the estimated annual total cost of compliance is in respect of the statutory sick pay scheme for employers. [154883]

Maria Eagle: Currently around 90 per cent. of employees are covered by an occupational sick pay scheme; where employers operate such a scheme, and it is more generous than Statutory Sick Pay (SSP), they do not have to keep SSP records. This makes it difficult to estimate the annual total costs for employers of compliance with the scheme.

In the most recent year for which figures are available (2000–01), the estimated expenditure for employers on SSP was £830 million.

Notes:

1. The figures are rounded to the nearest £10 million.

2. The figures are on an accruals basis and so record the year of liability of SSP payment, which is not the same as the year money was paid out.

Source:

Employers' end-of-year returns.

---