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19 Dec 2005 : Column 2456W—continued

New Deal

Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was spent on the New Deal in Beverley and Holderness in each year from 1997–98; and what the estimate is for each year to 2008–09. [38122]

Margaret Hodge: Figures for expenditure and estimates for New Deal spend/forecast are not available at constituency level.

New Registrations (Slough)

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many people from the new EU member states have joined the new deal scheme in Slough in each of the last five years; [38508]

(2) how many people registered for the new deal in Slough in each of the last five years for which data are available. [38512]

Margaret Hodge: Information is not collected on the nationality of those starting new deal.

National Insurance Contributions

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions by how many years qualifying national insurance contributions would have to be reduced in order that 90 per cent. of newly retired women would receive a full basic state pension in their own right. [23680]

Mr. Timms: The information is not available in the form requested.

Home responsibilities protection (HRP) reduces the number of qualifying years needed for a full basic state pension by up to half, so the precise number of years an individual requires will vary according to the number of years of HRP awarded. However, departmental administrative data indicates that if a full basic state pension were paid to those who have the equivalent of at least 10 qualifying years, approximately 85 per cent. of newly retired women in March 2005 might receive the full basic pension. This may overestimate the reduction in qualifying years needed for a particular proportion of newly retired women to receive a full BSP in their own right, due to the way in which HRP interacts with qualifying years.

Women's basic state pension records are continuing to improve with the combined effect of increased labour market participation and HRP, so in the future a much more modest reduction in qualifying years might be
 
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needed to achieve the same outcome. We estimate on the basis of the current system that by 2025 men and women reaching age 65 will have similar basic state pension entitlements.

Notes:

1.The answer is based on 2004–05 departmental administrative data which provides information about the amount of basic state pension (BSP) in payment. 2.The answer includes an approximation of the proportion of women at state pension age in March 2005 who made a late claim or deferred their state pension entitlement. 3.Currently women normally need 39 qualifying years for a full BSP and 10 qualifying years to get the minimum BSP, at least one year must derive from paid NICs. In 2020, when SPA for women is raised to age 65, the number of qualifying years for women will equalise with men, increasing to 44 for the full BSP and 11 qualifying years for the minimum BSP (which is 25 per cent. of the required qualifying years for a full BSP over a person's working life). The administrative data does not hold information on the entitlements of those who fail to qualify for the minimum BSP. 4.The figure is based on those women with the equivalent of 10 or more qualifying years. This includes women who have at least 10 qualifying years from paid Nl contributions, or a combination of contributions and Nl credits as well as women who have some home responsibilities protection HRP on their record. For example, a women with 19 years of HRP and 5 years of paid contributions is entitled to the same amount of BSP as a person with 10 years of paid contributions only. 5.The data set does not break down how the BSP is accrued (for example the number of years of paid contributions, credits or HRP). For this reason, the answer should be treated as approximate only. 6.The answer is based on women aged 60 in March 2005 resident in Great Britain.

Pathways to Work

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people (a) aged over 50 and (b) aged under 50 (i) joined Pathways to Work, (ii)subsequently found work, (iii) joined New Deal for Disabled People (excluding people in Pathways to Work pilot areas) and (iv) subsequently found work (excluding people in Pathways to Work pilot areas) in the last year for which figures are available. [26194]

Margaret Hodge: The information requested is in the tables.
Number of people who have joined Pathways to Work between September 2004 and August 2005

	Number of individuals starting Pathways to Work	Number who subsequently found work
Aged 50 and over	21,530	1,640
Aged under 50	58,460	5,620
Age not known	3,670	830
Total	83,660	8,090

Notes:
1.Data are to the end of August 2005.
2.Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
Source:
Pathways to Work Evaluation Database





 
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Starts to New Deal for Disabled People (excluding people in Pathways to Work pilot areas) between September 2004 and August 2005

	Number who started NDDP between September 2004 and August 2005, inclusive	Number who subsequently found a job through NDDP
Aged 1 8–49 years	39,980	13,170
Aged 50+ years	13,950	4,800
Total	54,020	17,990

Notes:
1.Data are to the end of August 2005.
2.All figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
3.Totals include people for whom age is not recorded. Because of this, and due to rounding, components will not necessarily sum to totals.
Source:
Information Directorate, DWP, 2005

Pension Reform

Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what changes in public expenditure he expects to arise as a result of the state retirement pension age for women rising to 65 years. [33438]

Mr. Timms: The Government's long-term projections of benefit spending following the pre-Budget report of 5 December give total United Kingdom benefit spending on pensioners as £104.1 billion in 2020 compared with £77.3 billion in 2005. All figures are given in 2005–06 prices.

If women's state pension age were to remain at 60, then benefit expenditure on pensioners would be £13.7billion higher. This saving is offset by extra costs of £3.5 billion on benefits for those of working age. Hence the change of the state retirement pension age to 65 years for women, with associated rises in the qualifying age for benefits such as pension credit or winter fuel payments, is expected to lead to a net saving in benefit expenditure of £10.1 billion in the year 2020 (figures do not sum exactly due to rounding).

Pensioners

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the administration costs were of the (a) pensioners' Christmas bonus, (b) the over-80s age top-up to the basic pension and (c) winter fuel allowance in 2004–05; and if he will make a statement. [20012]

Mr. Timms: We estimate that the cost of paying winter fuel payment, worth £1.9 billion to 11.4 million customers in 2004–05, was £23.2 million. The costs of administering the Christmas bonus and over-80 payment are not separately identifiable.

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of pensioners receive (a) a contracted-out pension and (b) SERPS or S2P; and what estimate he has made of the average amount received by these pensioners. [35371]

Mr. Timms: Information on the numbers and amounts of contracted-out pensions is not available. The only available information relates to deductions from additional State Pension in respect of periods of contracting-out from SERPS prior to April 1997.
 
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The total number of people receiving an additional State Pension which is subject to a contracted-out deduction is over 4 million representing 37.6 per cent. of all people receiving State Pension.

The total number of people receiving an additional State Pension under SERPS and/or S2P is just over 7 million representing around 61 per cent. of all people receiving State Pension. For those in receipt of additional State Pension the weekly average amount is £18.80.

Notes:

1.Data is taken from 5 per cent. extract of Pension Service Computer System as at 31 March 2005, therefore figures are subject to a degree of sampling variation. They are also adjusted to be consistent with the overall February caseload from the WPLS. 2.Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest million. 3.Amounts are rounded to the nearest 10p.

Source:

DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS) 100 per cent. data and 5 per cent. samples.

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