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22 Oct 2007 : Column 61W—continued


22 Oct 2007 : Column 62W

Occupational Pensions

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people who have been members of occupational pension schemes which have been closed (a) to new members and (b) completely since 1997. [152617]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is presented in the following table:

Active members in closed occupational schemes
million
2000 2004 2005 2006

Public sector

0.0

0.0

0.4

Private sector

0.6

1.9

1.7

1.8

Total

0.6

1.9

2.2

Notes:
(1) All figures are estimates and are taken from the Occupational Pension Scheme Survey, years 2006, 2005, 2004 and 2000. Data for years 2000 to 2005 inclusive were produced by the Government Actuary’s Department (GAD). Data from 2006 were produced by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). 2006 is the latest year published. The coverage of the survey is the UK.
(2) Unlike other years the 2005 survey only covered private sector schemes.
(3) Results may not sum to totals shown due to rounding.
(4) In 2005 data was not collected for public sector schemes or the total.
Source:
Occupational Pension Schemes Survey

Older Workers

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people aged 50 years and over moved off benefits and into work in each of the last 10 years. [159621]

Mr. Plaskitt: The information is not available.

Pensioners: Females

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many women pensioners in each five-year age cohort would receive an additional weekly pension increase of (a) less than £5, (b) £5 to £9.99, (c) £10 to £14.99, (d) £15 to £19.99 and (e) £20 or more in 2010 if the reduction in qualifying years for a full pension were extended to them. [158604]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The information is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Pensioners: Glasgow

Mr. Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) males and (b) females living in Glasgow, East constituency are drawing state retirement pension. [160057]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: As at February 2007, there were 5,210 male and 9,760 female recipients of State Pension in Glasgow, East parliamentary constituency.


22 Oct 2007 : Column 63W

Pensioners: Means Tested Benefits

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate his Department has made of the number and proportion of pensioners subject to some form of means testing for a part of their income. [159615]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: Latest available information relates to 2004. This shows that there were 3.74 million beneficiaries aged 60 and over of income related benefits, 30 per cent. of the population of this age group.

Pensioners: Poverty

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what estimate he has made of the level of pensioner poverty in Ochil and South Perthshire since 2005; [159311]

(2) what estimate he has made of the level of pensioner poverty in Clackmannanshire in each year since 1997; [159312]

(3) what assessment he has made of the likely effect of measures announced in the recent pre-Budget report and comprehensive spending review on pensioner poverty in Ochil and South Perthshire; [159313]

(4) what assessment he has made of the likely effect of measures announced in the recent pre-Budget report and comprehensive spending review upon pensioner poverty in Scotland. [159279]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: Specific information regarding low income is available in ‘Households Below Average Income 1994-95 to 2005-06 (Revised)’, a copy of which has been placed in the Library. The threshold of below 60 per cent. contemporary median income is the most commonly used in reporting trends in low income.

The data source does not allow us to provide robust numbers for estimates below a regional level. Therefore estimates for Ochil and South Perthshire and for Clackmannanshire are not available. Instead, information on the numbers of pensioners in households with low incomes in Scotland for the period 1997-98 to 2005-06 is presented in the following table.


22 Oct 2007 : Column 64W
Number and percentage of pensioners in Scotland living in households below 60 per cent. median income after housing costs
Thousand Percentage

1997-98

250

28

1998-99

230

27

1999-2000

250

28

2000-01

220

25

2001-02

210

24

2002-03

220

25

2003-04

180

21

2004-05

150

16

2005-06

150

16

Notes:
1. The table shows number of pensioners in thousands—rounded to nearest 10 thousand.
2. Low income is determined for pensioners as living in households with incomes below 60 per cent. of the UK median after housing costs.
Source:
Scottish Households Below Average Income 2005-06—revised

Our policies have been effective in tackling pensioner poverty and now, for the first time ever in a period of sustained economic growth, pensioners are less likely to be in poverty than the population as a whole. Since 1997 over one million pensioners have been lifted out of relative poverty, including approximately 90 thousand pensioners (rounded to the nearest ten thousand) in Scotland.

Minimum income guarantee and pension credit, winter fuel payments and a 7 per cent. real terms increase in the value of the basic state pension have all contributed to improving pensioner incomes. The announcement in the pre-Budget report to increase pension credit standard minimum guarantee to £124 a week for single pensioners (£189 a week for couples) in 2008-09, and commitment to uprate it in line with earnings over the long term, demonstrates our continued commitment to tackling pensioner poverty.

A new public service agreement ‘Tackle poverty and promote greater independence in later life’ was published as part of the comprehensive spending review on 9 October 2007. This clearly demonstrates that tackling the problems of low income among older people remains a key government priority.

The Scottish government is also tackling pensioner poverty in Scotland, in partnership with the UK Government. It is promoting benefit uptake through the benefits health checks offered as part of the free central heating programme, and funding of the Scottish helpline for older people. Its central heating programme, free Scotland-wide bus travel, and free personal and nursing care are complementing measures provided by the UK Government.

Pensions: Financial Assistance Scheme

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what progress has been made in finding additional funding to improve the Financial Assistance Scheme; and if he will make a statement. [159828]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: We await the report of Andrew Young which we have asked him to bring forward from the end of this year to November 2007.

The Government will set out the details of their approach to further funding once that report has been published.

State Retirement Pensions: Overseas Residence

David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many International Pension Centre clients are the spouse or dependent of a UK citizen. [157845]


22 Oct 2007 : Column 65W

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The information requested is not held in the form requested.

Winter Fuel Payments

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what the cost of the winter fuel allowance has been in each year since the scheme was established; [160361]

(2) what the estimated cost of the winter fuel allowance is in (a) 2007-08, (b) 2008-09, (c) 2009-10, (d) 2010-11 and (e) 2011-12. [160360]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The information requested is in the following tables:

Total cost and planned expenditure on winter fuel payments paid out in Great Britain since the scheme was established
Outturn y ears Cash t erms (£ million)

1997-98

191

1998-99

194

1999-2000

759

2000-01

1,749

2001-02

1,681

2002-03

1,705

2003-04

1,916

2004-05

1,962

2005-06

1,982

2006-07

2,015


Forecast y ears Cash t erms (£ million)

2007-08

2,059

2008-09

2,102

2009-10

2,137

2010-11

2,145

Notes:

Notes: 1. Figures are consistent with the comprehensive spending review and are rounded to the nearest £ million. 2. Winter fuel payment was introduced in 1997. 3. Payments made to people aged 60 to 64 years and over 80 payments are included from 2000-01 onwards. Following a European Court of Justice judgment in 1999, winter fuel payments were extended to people aged 60 or over regardless of whether they were receiving a social security benefit. A claims process was set up in the year 2000 to enable payments to be made to those people who could not be identified through the Department's records.

Communities and Local Government

Audit Commission: Expenditure

Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the administrative cost was of the Audit Commission in each year since 1996. [157643]

John Healey: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the Chief Executive of the Audit Commission to write to the hon. Member directly.

Letter from Steve Bundred, dated 19 October 2007:


22 Oct 2007 : Column 66W
Year end Period length (months) Total (£000)

1996

12

92,356

1997

12

93,130

1997

7

60,311

1998

12

104,983

1999

12

111,081

2000

12

143,847

2001

12

177,927

2002

12

212,972

2002/04

17

324,054

2005

12

230,736

2006

12

193,824


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