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26 Apr 2004 : Column 856W—continued

Retirement Planner

Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and   Pensions for what reasons the launch of his Department's proposed web-based retirement planner has been delayed, from the initial target year set out in Simplicity, Security and Choice: Working and Saving for Retirement, page 42. [166246]

Malcolm Wicks: The launch of the web-based retirement planner is not delayed. The first elements—the provision of state pension forecasts in real-time—will be introduced in 2004, as set out in the Green Paper 'Simplicity, security and choice: working and saving for retirement'. As announced in February 2004 in Cm 6111, 'Simplicity, security and choice: Informed choices for working and saving', we intend to launch the web-based retirement planner in spring 2006.

Winter Fuel Allowance

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioner households will benefit from the winter fuel allowance; and what amount of funding for winter fuel allowance will be   given to each constituency in the UK, with constituencies grouped by region. [166684]

Malcolm Wicks: About 8.2 million pensioner households 1 in Great Britain are expected to receive a winter fuel payment this winter. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is responsible for the Northern Ireland scheme. The value of individual payments made in each constituency so far this winter is in the table which has been placed in the Library.

Please note that the amounts for individual payments made refer only to the main payment run, i.e. they do not include the late payment run figures. We estimate that there are approximately 100,000 people in Great Britain paid via late payment runs (0.8 per cent. of all payments). However, since late payment runs are mainly in respect of non-system cases whose claims had not been received by the Qualifying Week, they are heavily skewed towards men aged 60.

IAD Information Centre, 100 per cent. sample