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16 Nov 2004 : Column 1328W—continued
Pension Payments
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with what frequency pensioners who receive a pension through a weekly order book at post offices and switch to direct payment will receive their payments; and whether they will be paid in arrears. [198047]
Mr. Pond [holding answer 15 November 2004]: When a customer converts to Direct Payment from order book, payments into their chosen account are made to match the frequency and payday of their current order book payments. Payment of state pension is made in advance if paid weekly and in arrears if paid monthly or less frequently.
Pensioners
Mr. David Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions at what age (a) men and (b) women become eligible to receive an old age pension in each of the European Union states. [197653]
Mr. Pond: The information is in the table.
Source:
European Commission (2004) Mutual Information System on Social Protection (MISSOC).
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Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many UK pensioners in receipt of basic state pensions are resident overseas, in (a) Commonwealth countries, (b) in EU countries and (c) elsewhere; and if he will make a statement. [198169]
Malcolm Wicks: The total number of people receiving a UK state pension outside GB is 970,300, of whom: 534,200 reside in a country which is a member of the Commonwealth alone; 274,500 reside in a country which is an EU member state alone; 150,400 reside in countries outside both the EU and the Commonwealth; 8,100 reside in Cyprus and 3,100 reside in Malta, countries which are in both the EU and the Commonwealth.
2. Figures are obtained from a 5 per cent. sample of cases and are therefore subject to a high degree of sampling variation.
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what percentage of pensioners retire on incomes higher than the average weekly wage in the last period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [198172]
Malcolm Wicks: The information available is set out in the table.
Notes:
1. Mean and median gross weekly earnings are based on the New Earnings Survey 2002 for employees in full-time work.
2. Recently retired pensioner units are those pensioners where the head is less than five years over state pension age, excluding pensioners reporting earnings.
3. Net income is income from all sources deducting income tax and council tax.
Source:
Pensioners' Incomes Series 2002–03, based upon data from the Family Resources Survey (FRS).
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Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what he estimates the cost would be of raising the basic state pension to £105.45 per week; what the annual cost is of the pension guarantee credit at the current rate; what the cost would be of the pension guarantee credit if the maximum basic state pension were raised to £105.45 per week; and if he will make a statement. [198207]
Malcolm Wicks: It is estimated that the cost of increasing the full rate of the basic state pension to the level of the guarantee credit in 2005–06 would be £13.5 billion (gross) and £7.3 billion (net). The current forecast for spending on pension credit in 2005–06 is £5.7 billion which, it is estimated, would reduce to £2.1 billion if the rate of the full basic state pension was increased to the level of the guarantee credit.
1. Figures are for Great Britain and overseas in 2004–05 price terms, using the Gross Domestic Product deflator index, rounded to the nearest £100 million.
2. It is assumed that the full rate of basic state pension is increased to the level of the individual guarantee credit in 2005–06 and that both are increased in line with earnings. The married woman's (60 per cent.) rate of Category B basic state pension and rates of pension paid to people entitled to less than the full rate of basic state pension are increased by the same proportion.
3. Gross basic state pension costs are estimated by the Government Actuary's Department, are consistent with Budget 2004 assumptions and use 2002-based population projections. Basic state pension costs refer to the additional costs after allowing for consequential changes to national insurance fund benefits and non-income-vote benefits.
4. Costs net of income related benefits (savings credit, guarantee credit, housing benefit and council tax benefit) and income tax are calculated using the Department's policy simulation model for 2005–06. It is assumed that the savings credit is abolished.
5. Some people who are without full contribution records, or who qualify for premiums in pension credit (such as severe disability premium), may continue to receive guarantee credit. It should also be noted that pension credit is paid to those over 60, and men aged 60–64 are not be entitled to basic state pension.
Somalian Nationals
Dr. Gibson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what action he has taken to raise awareness among Somalian residents of training opportunities provided by his Department; [195312]
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(2) what steps he has taken to increase employment opportunities for resident Somalian nationals. [195313]
(3) if he will meet representatives of Somalian nationals to discuss integration into the UK employment market. [195315]
Jane Kennedy: We are committed to providing a fair and equal service to all our customers, irrespective of their race or cultural background. At a local level, we consult widely with communities to raise awareness of the opportunities available, and to identify the most appropriate provision. Somali nationals resident in the UK have access to the full range of Jobcentre Plus services.
People with basic skills needs, including English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), can, at their personal adviser's discretion, have early entry to training and employment programmes to support them into employment. These include the New Deal, which has already helped more than 111,000 ethnic minority people into work; as well as Work Based Learning for Adults, which offers people a range of occupational skills and gives them the opportunity of working towards a recognised qualification that will increase their chances of finding work.
We also have a range of initiatives specifically aimed at increasing employment among ethnic minority groups. These include setting stretching job entry targets for areas with high ethnic minority populations; Ethnic Minority Outreach, which operates in similar areas and aims to help ethnic minority people with little or no contact with Jobcentre Plus to engage with our services and with the wider labour market; and the Ethnic Minority Flexible Fund, which provides funding for Jobcentre Plus at a local level to initiate innovative measures to help more ethnic minority people find work.
I would be happy to arrange, in the first instance, a meeting between my officials and representatives of Somalian nationals to discuss their employment needs.
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