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17 Nov 2004 : Column 1662W—continued
Pension Credit
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in each parliamentary constituency are entitled to pension credit. [194841]
Malcolm Wicks: A report is available in the Library giving pension credit information to 30 September. It includes tables showing the number of households in each parliamentary constituency in Great Britain in receipt of pension credit.
Mr. McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in West Derbyshire (a) are receiving pension credit, (b) are entitled to pension credit but not yet claiming it, (c) are receiving pension savings credit, (d) are entitled to pension savings credit but not yet claiming it, (e) received free eye tests in the last year for which figures are available, (f) received free TV licences in the last year for which figures are available and (g) will be entitled to winter fuel payment (i) at the standard rate and (ii) at the higher rate for older pensioners in 2003–04; and if he will make a statement. [198360]
Malcolm Wicks: Information on the number of people likely to be eligible for pension credit or the savings element of pension credit is not available at constituency level. At 30 September 2004, 3,405 households in the West Derbyshire constituency were receiving pension credit, of whom 2,760 were receiving the savings element.
In winter 2003–04, the number of households in the West Derbyshire constituency with at least one resident aged 75 or over is 6,235. Each of these households would be eligible for a free TV licence.
In winter 2003–04, 22,220 people in the West Derbyshire constituency received a winter fuel payment. Of these, 4,650 were aged 80 or over and entitled to the higher rate. We expect the numbers to be similar for winter 2004–05.
Matters relating to free eye tests are the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Health.
3. Any residence found to have four or more occupants aged 60 and over is not included in the total household figure as it is assumed to be RCNH (Residential Care/Nursing Home).
Mr. McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners he estimates have yet to apply through the pension credit scheme in (a) West Derbyshire, (b) the East Midlands and (c) the UK and what efforts are being made to simplify the pension credit process to make it easier for pensioners to claim their entitlement. [198361]
Malcolm Wicks:
The information is not available in the form requested, but we estimate that approximately 250,000 pensioner households in the East Midlands region, corresponding to approximately 350,000 individuals, and approximately 3.75 million pensioner households in Great Britain, corresponding to
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approximately 4.85 million individuals, are likely to be eligible for pension credit in 2004–05. The following table gives the numbers of pensioner households and individuals in West Derbyshire, the East Midlands Government Office Region (GOR) and Great Britain receiving pension credit at 30 September 2004.
The application process for pension credit has been designed to be straightforward for pensioners and their family and friends, who may apply on their behalf. The pension credit application line (freephone 0800 991234), which is the main method of applying, is working well and at the end of September had taken around 4.66 million calls since it became operational on 7 April 2003. The pension service is able to offer alternative ways of applying to suit individual circumstances. We have made minor improvements to the application process in the light of experience and will continue to do so, although there are no current plans for a fundamental review.
| Households | Individuals | |
|---|---|---|
| Great Britain | 2,621,945 | 3,184,680 |
| East Midlands GOR | 188,595 | 232,030 |
| West Derbyshire parliamentary Constituency | 3,405 | 4,065 |
Notes:
1. Figures are rounded to the nearest five.
2. Individual recipients include a small number of partners under age 60
Mr. Denis Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in the Wansbeck constituency (a) are entitled to and (b) claim pension credit. [198696]
Malcolm Wicks: Information on the number of people likely to be eligible for pension credit is not available at constituency level. However, we estimate that approximately 200,000 households in the North East Government Office Region (GOR), corresponding to approximately 300,000 individuals (rounded to the nearest 50,000), are likely to be eligible for pension credit in 2004–05. Information on the number of pension credit recipients in the North East GOR and in Wansbeck at the end of September is given in the table.
| Households | Individuals | |
|---|---|---|
| North East GOR | 154,650 | 189,605 |
| Wansbeck | 4,180 | 4,965 |
Notes:
1. Figures are rounded to the nearest five
2. Individual recipients include a small number of partners under age 60
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the impact of the indexation of pension credit on (a) the level of savings by low income individuals and (b) incentives to save. [198797]
Malcolm Wicks:
We have given an undertaking to uprate pension credit in line with earnings during this Parliament, ensuring that poorer pensioners share in rising national prosperity.
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There are many factors which are likely to influence incentives to save. Pension credit ensures that anyone who has saved above the basic state pension level will be better off than if they had not.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many women are not claiming the pension credit to which they are entitled. [198798]
Malcolm Wicks: Information on the number of people who are eligible for pension credit but not receiving it is not yet available. At 30 September, approximately 2,117,030 women in Great Britain were receiving pension credit, either individually or as part of a couple.
Pensioner Poverty
Mr. Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what progress the Department has made in tackling pensioner poverty since 1997. [198670]
Malcolm Wicks: We have taken many steps to tackle pensioner poverty, including the introduction of pension credit and winter fuel payments, and since 2000, there has been a 7 per cent. real rise in the level of the Basic State Pension. As a result, of these measures during 2004–05 we will be spending nearly £10 billion more on pensioners, including £5 billion more on the poorest third.
Recent analysis has shown our overall strategy to tackle pensioner poverty is succeeding. The Household Below Average Income figures shows pensioner poverty has fallen by two thirds in absolute terms between 1996–07 and 2002–03 thereby lifting 1.8 million older people out of absolute poverty of which 1.3 million are women.
Pensioners
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had with the Royal Mail, following the introduction of the new daily delivery time target, on ensuring that pensioners who are reliant on carers to cash their cheques on particular days receive their pension cheques in time for the carer to visit the post office to claim the money; and if he will make a statement. [198139]
Mr. Pond: Cheques will be issued to the customer's home address allowing sufficient time for the cheque to reach the customer by the day that payment is due.
It is still an option with Direct Payment for someone to collect a customer's benefit or pension for them. The precise arrangements for people who need help collecting their money will depend on the type of account they have and with which account provider.
With the post office card account, customers are able to obtain a second card, with a separate PIN, for a person of their choice to access their account.
However, accounts that offer chequebooks or building society passbooks provide more flexibility and may be more suitable than a card-based account for customers who rely on someone to collect their benefit or pension.
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Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost is of issuing a single pension cheque to a pensioner, in replacement of the order book; what the unit cost would be if cheques were issued in batches of four; and if he will make a statement. [198178]
Mr. Pond: Most pensioners are now converting from order book to payment direct to an account. When this is not possible the use of payment by cheque will be used. The switch for pensioners from order books to cheques will take place between January and March 2005. The average cost of a cheque is dependent upon the number of cheques issued. It is forecast that the average cost of a cheque after March 2005 will be in the order of £1.35 per cheque.
It is not intended to issue cheques in batches since this would replicate a number of the costly and insecure features of the order book process related to fraud and recall of payments.
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in Hendon have (a) converted to direct payment, (b) opted for direct payment on the first award of their pension, (c) opted for a Post Office Card Account and (d) have not converted to direct payments and (i) remain in receipt of pensions from their current order books and (ii) have started to receive pensions by cheque payments; of (c) how many have yet to have a Post Office Card Account opened; and if he will make a statement. [198395]
Mr. Pond: The information is not available in the precise format requested. However as at September 2004 the number of pensioners in the Hendon parliamentary constituency who are being paid by Direct Payment is 12,695, of which 650 are being paid into a Post Office card account. The number of accounts which have yet to convert to Direct Payment is 4,685, of which 4,585 are currently being paid by Order Book.
(c) Child Benefit and War Pensions are no longer the responsibility of DWP and are not included in the figures.
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how quickly a visit from a pension service visiting officer will be made in the event of a pension cheque not arriving to its intended recipient on time and severe hardship ensuing. [198399]
Malcolm Wicks: Procedures are in place to ensure that, where a cheque is late or goes missing, the customer receives a replacement payment as soon as can be arranged. The action to be taken will depend on the individual customer's needs and circumstances and might involve a home visit if that is the most appropriate solution. Our aim is to ensure as far as possible that a customer does not suffer hardship. The arrangements are under review.
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pension service outreach visits have been made to (a) pensioner groups and (b) individual pensioners in Hendon; and if he will make a statement. [198405]
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Malcolm Wicks: Information is not available in the format requested. However figures can be provided from April 2004 to October 2004 and is provided in the following table.
Source:
The Pension Service Local Service System version 6
The term "Information Points" will now be used instead of "Surgeries" to better describe the outreach services for our customers as Local Service moves towards supporting partners in running these activities.
Details of Local Service Information Points can be obtained by telephoning the single "lo call" access number for The Pension Service 0845 60 60 265 or by visiting The Pension Service website www.thepensionservice.gsi.gov.uk. Locally, details of Local Service Information Points are often available in libraries, GP surgeries and advertised in the local press and radio.
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which pension service local clusters have been withdrawn; and what alternative arrangements are in place. [198406]
Malcolm Wicks: Reclustering was a series of boundary changes to facilitate the delivery of a more efficient service to our customers. The principal rationale behind reclustering was the need for local service to become better aligned with its key local authority partners, and to streamline its management structures to ensure that as many local service resources as possible are focused on front line service delivery. This process involved some local service clusters merging with others but none were withdrawn. As a percentage of the overall staffing for The Pension Service, the numbers for local service will proportionately make up a larger percentage of the overall organisation.
Customers can expect to receive the same level of service and our ability to work in partnership with local authorities and the voluntary sector has not changed. Our customers will continue to contact the pension centres in the normal way through the 0845 6060265 number and should have no knowledge that the Local Service cluster may have changed. If there were changes that would affect the level of service to the customer, a communication would be issued to the customer and all key stakeholders such as hon. Members.
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