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5 Jul 2004 : Column 523W—continued
Environmental Sustainability
Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department has joined the Watermark project. [181446]
Mr. Pond: The former Department of Social Security joined the Watermark project in 2000 and those arrangements continued following the formation of the Department for Work and Pensions in 2001.
Expatriate Pensioners
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many British expatriate pensioners have received letters requesting they provide evidence of their continuing entitlement to a British pension in each of the past five years; how many are expected to receive a letter (a) this year and (b) in each of the next five years; how many have had their pensions (i) reduced and (ii) removed as a result; whether financial savings have been made; and if he will make a statement. [180918]
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Malcolm Wicks: DWP administers state retirement pension to almost one million customers in over 200 countries worldwide, via International Pension Centre (IPC).
In response to an issue identified by National Audit Office in the mid 90s, a strategy was introduced to confirm eligibility for state pension, and provide an acceptable level of assurance to Ministers, by way of issue and subsequent check of a letter sent to all customers living aboard. The strategy is designed to ensure that all customers will receive a letter within a maximum five year period.
In the past five years, for period 1999 to 2003, IPC have issued a total of some 850,000 letters, known as life certificates. This represents an average issue of approximately 170,000 letters per year. These are sent to all customers who have entitlement to UK state pension, including, but not exclusively, British expatriate pensioners.
The current strategy is to send out approximately 200,000 letters per year to check entitlement, to ensure that all of the one million customers are contacted within a five year period. This is expected to continue over the next five years.
An average of 4,900 pensioners worldwide have had their pensions stopped as a result of the exercise each year, totalling 24,500 over the last five years. This has resulted in financial savings of £26.5 million in the period 1999 to 2003, at an average of £5.1 million per year.
There are very few circumstances where a state pension would be reduced and occurrences are rare. The life certificate exercise predominantly either confirms entitlement or leads to cessation of entitlement.
Means-tested Benefits
Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were eligible for means-tested benefits in (a) May 1997 and (b) May 2004. [181899]
Malcolm Wicks: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information that is available is tabled as follows.
| Income support/minimum income guarantee | Housing benefit | Council tax benefit | Income-based jobseeker's allowance | Family credit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 3,990:4,580 | 4,650:5,010 | 6,580:7,040 | 1,220:1,440 | 940:990 |
| 1998–99 | 3,890:4,400 | 4,820:6,480 | 6,480:6,980 | 1,130:1,370 | 950:1,010 |
| 1999–2000 | 3,960:4,510 | 4,710:6,270 | 6,270:6,850 | 1,100:1,270 | — |
| 2000–01 | 4,030:4,500 | 4,510:6,150 | 6,150:6,700 | 1,030:1,180 | — |
| 2001–02 | 4,330:4,840 | 6,370:6,950 | 6,370:6,950 | 1,030:1,240 | — |
Notes:
1. Estimates are presented as ranges to reflect the uncertainty in the number of estimated entitled non-recipients based on DWP Family Resources Survey data.
2. Estimates relate to financial years; the latest statistics cover 2001–02.
3. Estimates cover the private household population in Great Britain.
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Mr. Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the means-tested benefits available through his Department and the agencies for which it is responsible (a) in May 1997 and (b) now. [182566]
Mr. Pond: The agencies of The Department for Work and Pensions are Jobcentre Plus, The Pensions Service, The Child Support Agency, The Appeals Service and The Rent Service.
The income-related benefits available in 1997 were Income Support, Social Fund, Income Based Jobseekers Allowance, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit.
In 2004, the income-related benefits available are Income Support, Social Fund, Income Based Jobseekers Allowance, Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit and Pension Credit.
Miners' Compensation Scheme
Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which benefits are (a) regarded and (b) disregarded for widows of former miners following payment for personal injury under the Miners' Compensation Scheme. [181627]
Jane Kennedy: Any capital in excess of the basic disregarded amounts will affect entitlement to all the income-related benefits: income support, income-based job seekers allowance, pension credit, housing benefit and council tax benefit. Where capital exceeds a maximum threshold, entitlement will be reduced to nil. The thresholds vary for the different benefits.
Capital does not affect the non-income-related benefits, which are based solely on contribution records of the claimant or, in the case of bereavement benefits, their late spouse.
Older People
Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on how the UN principles on older people will be reflected within the Department's work programme. [182167]
Malcolm Wicks: The Department is contributing to the action the Government is taking to prepare for the challenges and opportunities of our ageing society in a way that is fully consistent with the UN principles for older people. The introduction of safeguards to protect pension provision, our Informed Choice strategy which empowers people to make better choices about work and retirement, tackling pensioner poverty through Pension Credit, creating incentives to extend working life and improving services through a dedicated Pension Service will enable older people to live independently and participate fully in society.
Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 4 March 2004, Official Report, column 1040W, on Benefit Payments (Pensioners), what the comparable figures are for (a) 1997, (b) 2000 and (c) 2010. [178885]
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Malcolm Wicks: The proportion of individuals aged 60 years or older in receipt of income-related benefits for the 1997 and 2000 is set out in the table. We do not have forecasts for 2010 as this depends on a wide range of assumptions—including about policy decisions that future Parliaments will take. But a projected figure is provided in the following table. This projection is contingent on the assumptions set out in the notes.
| Proportion (Percentage) | |
|---|---|
| 1997 (Outturn) | 32 |
| 2000 (Outturn) | 29 |
| 2010 (projection) | 33 |
Notes:
1. For the projection, it has been assumed that pensioners' incomes will rise in line with average earnings; that the guarantee element will be uprated in line with average earnings; and that the savings element threshold will be uprated in line with prices.
2. It has also been assumed that the eligible population will tend to rise in line with the general projected growth of the pensioner population.
Sources:
Outturn: IAD Information Centre 100 per cent. and 1 per cent. scans.
Projection: IAD Benefit Forecasting and Model Development Division.
Pensions
Gareth Thomas: If he will make a statement on the steps he is taking to tackle pensioner poverty. [181892]
Malcolm Wicks: We have taken many steps to tackle pensioner poverty, including the introduction of Pension Credit and Winter Fuel Payments, and since 2000, a 7 per cent. real rise in the level of the Basic State Pension. As a result, during 2004–05 we will be spending nearly £10 billion more on pensioners, including £5 billion more on the poorest third. This means that the poorest pensioners are on average £33 a week better off than they would have been under the 1997 system.
I am today publishing in the Library a review of the Pension Credit campaign to May 2004. This shows that Pension Credit is playing a vital role in helping to give more money to the people who need it most. Over 3 million pensioners are benefiting, with over 2.2 million individuals receiving more money than they did before.
Mr. Amess: What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the funding he has committed to provide assistance to occupational pension scheme members who will not be covered by the pension protection fund. [181906]
Malcolm Wicks: I refer the hon. Member to the oral answer I gave to the hon. Member for Mid-Bedfordshire (Mr. Sayeed) earlier today.
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many of the seven million people who it is estimated, based on evidence from the Family Resoures Survey 2001–02, will remain without second-tier pension arrangements (a) are self-employed, (b) earn less than the lower earnings limit, (c) are unemployed and (d) are other non-contributors. [182120]
Malcolm Wicks:
I refer the hon. Member to the Written Answer I gave my right hon. Friend the Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) on 1 May 2003, Official Report, column 491W.
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Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pension credit application forms (a) have been sent out, (b) have been returned, (c) were adjusted after receipt by the Pension Service and (d) led to successful claims for pension credit. [166480]
Malcolm Wicks: As at 31 May, 1.66 million application forms had been issued by the Pension Credit application line. At the same date, 1.22 million completed forms had been returned and 863,000 applications for Pension Credit had been successful. Information on the number of cases in which an application form was amended because of new information is not available.
Not all applications for Pension Credit originate from a call to the application line. A relatively small number of customers will have obtained an application form
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from another source, for example through one of the external organisations with whom we are working at local level. Information on the number of such cases is not available.
Note:
Figures are rounded to the nearest 1,000.
John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in Scotland were in receipt of pension credit in Scotland in each month from 31 January. [180784]
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) individuals and (b) households have received pension credit in (i) Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale, (ii) the Scottish Borders region and (iii) Scotland since October 2003; and if he will make a statement. [180956]
Malcolm Wicks: The information is given in the table.
| Scotland | Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale (parliamentary constituency) | The Scottish Borders (Local authority) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households | Individuals | Households | Individuals | Households | Individuals | |
| October 2003 | 201,550 | 234,835 | 1,940 | 2,255 | 3,980 | 4,700 |
| November 2003 | 217,065 | 255,570 | 2,165 | 2,560 | 4,485 | 5,380 |
| December 2003 | 223,060 | 263,290 | 2,280 | 2,685 | 4,760 | 5,710 |
| January 2004 | 227,990 | 269,695 | 2,390 | 2,830 | 4,935 | 5,945 |
| February 2004 | 237,045 | 281,470 | 2,525 | 2,990 | 5,200 | 6,275 |
| March 2004 | 248,605 | 296,080 | 2,710 | 3,225 | 5,560 | 6,740 |
| April 2004 | 253,520 | 302,255 | 2,755 | 3,280 | 5,600 | 6,775 |
| May 2004 | 259,370 | 309,935 | 2,830 | 3,380 | 5,720 | 6,935 |
Notes:
1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 5.
2. Pension credit replaced the Minimum Income Guarantee on 6 October 2003.
3. Individual recipients include a small number of partners under age 60.
Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when his Department will respond to the requests by Mrs. Giles of Christchurch (Ref: ZP660966C) for her pension to be paid into her building society account; and if he will make a statement. [181004]
Mr. Pond [holding answer 28 June 2004]: I have written to the hon. Member today.
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