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Table 2: Proportion of pensioners living in households with income below 40 per cent. of contemporary median household income who were also living in a benefit unit that is entitled but not receiving IS-MIG-PC, Great Britain | ||
Percentage | ||
After housing costs | As a proportion of all pensioners | |
Notes: 1. Figures are presented after housing costs as this is our preferred measure for pensioners. 2. Estimates of the pensioner population cover those above state pension age (60 for women and 65 for men). The estimates therefore exclude some men aged 60 to 64 and partners of pensioners aged under 60, who may have been eligible but not claiming pension credit. 3. Estimates also exclude those cases where respondents have reported they are awaiting the outcome of a claim for a benefit and have been modelled as entitled to that benefit. 4. Estimates cover the private household population of Great Britain. The data source is the Family Resources Survey. 5. These figures are calculated using OECD equivalisation factors. Prior to 2002-03 they are based on a GB median and from 2002-03 it is based on a UK median. This is consistent with low income estimates published in the latest edition of Households Below Average Income. The GB median is similar to the UK median. 6. minimum income guarantee (MIG) was introduced for pensioners in April 1999 paid through income support. 7. Pension credit (PC) was introduced mid-way through 2003-04; therefore, estimates for 2003-04 cover those pensioners who were entitled but not receiving either MIG or PC. As this relates to the first six months of pension credit the figures should be treated with some caution. 8. For the purposes of this analysis, benefit unit based data (take-up statistics) were combined with household equivalised income based results (Households Below Average Income statistics). 9. Estimates for 2000-2001 and 2003-2004 onwards incorporate the results of a data matching exercise, which links the Family Resources Survey with DWP administrative data in order to identify hidden recipients of MIG-PC, i.e. those people who tell the FRS they do not receive pension credit, but actually do. 10. Estimates are presented as proportions of the total pensioner population below the 40 per cent. of median household income, as the analysis is based on single-year survey data and the absolute numbers of such pensioners who were not claiming the pension credit or minimum income guarantee they were entitled to might be biased due to small sample sizes. 11. These analyses have not been corrected for the biases that may be inherent in estimates of entitlement to income-related benefitsthat is, they may be based on the data for those who appear to be entitled non recipients (ENRs) but will not all actually be ENRs and vice versaand so they should be treated with some caution. 12.The estimates relate only to those who were modelled as entitled to receive benefit but were not identified to be in receipt of any amount of benefit. It therefore does not include cases where a pensioner is in receipt of some benefit, but this is less than the amount they are truly entitled to. Including these cases may not give a reliable indication of full take-up due to the potential error that exists in modelling entitlement. |
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was paid in retirement benefits to (a) couples, (b) single men and (c) single women where the recipients were aged (i) 60 to 64, (ii) 65 to 69, (iii) 70 to 74, (iv) 75 to 79 and (v) over 79 in the latest period for which figures are available. [126047]
James Purnell: The information requested is in the following table:
Average benefit income in £ per week, 2004-05 prices | |||
Couples | Single men | Single women | |
Notes: 1. Benefit income includes national insurance related benefits (basic and additional state pension, widows benefits and incapacity benefit), income related benefits (pension credit, housing benefit, council tax benefit and social fund grants) and disability related benefits (mainly disability living allowance and attendance allowance). 2. Figures are for Great Britain. 3. Figures have been rounded to the nearest pound. 4. Based on survey data and as such subject to a degree of sampling error. 5. Benefit income is self-reported and consequently can be misreported. 6. The breakdown by age for couples is by the age of the man. 7. The amounts for 60-64 year old couples and single men are lower than for older age groups because 60-64 year old men are not entitled to state pension. Source: Pensioners Incomes Series 2004-05 |
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the extent to which the Government's policies on pension protection (a) have been and (b) are compliant with EU Council Directive 80/987/EEC of 20 October 1980; and if he will make a statement. [121445]
James Purnell: I refer the hon. member to the Secretary of State's written statement on occupational pensions of 28 March 2007.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many residents in each electoral ward in Stroud constituency receive pension credit. [130069]James Purnell: The answer is set out in the following table.
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of calls to the pension application hotline (a) were answered, (b) received an engaged tone and (c) went unanswered in the last period for which figures are available. [130555]
James Purnell: The Pension Service has two contact centres responsible for taking applications over the telephone. The pension credit application line takes applications for pension credit, and applications for state pension are taken by the Retirement Pension Teleclaim centre.
The latest period for which figures are available for the pension credit application line (PCAL) and for the Retirement Pension Teleclaim Centre (RPTC) is 1 February 2007 to 28 February 2007. A call receiving
an engaged tone does not reach the centre and is not therefore available to be answered. A call cannot be answered until it reaches the advisor queue, the
percentages quoted are in relation to the calls available to be answered. The information is contained in the following table
1 to 28 February 2007 | Percentage of calls which received an engaged tone (these calls did not reach the centre) (b) | Percentage of calls available to be answered which were answered (a) | Percentage of calls available to be answered which were abandoned by the customer ( c) |
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had with representatives of the banking industry on the development of the new Post Office card account; and if he will make a statement. [130191]
Mr. Plaskitt: My officials regularly meet with representatives of the banking industry to discuss issues of mutual interest, including wider developments in the banking world.
The Government have decided that there will be a new service after 2010 when the contract for the Post Office card account ends. In accordance with the EU procurement rules. We will tender competitively for this product and a notice will be placed in the Official Journal of the European Union shortly.
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what assessment he has made of the effect of centralisation of Social Fund processing on (a) service to the public and (b) debt recovery; and on what evidence his assessment is based; [130177]
(2) how many calls to the Social Fund system have been (a) received, (b) answered and (c) completed in each office dealing with Social Fund applications. [130179]
Mr. Plaskitt: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide my hon. Friend with the information requested.
Letter from Lesley Strathie dated 29 March 2007:
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