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22 July 2008 : Column 1185W—continued
Older Workers: Further Education
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assistance his Department provides for people over 55 years of age who have been made redundant (a) in the previous 12 months and (b) more than one year ago to take up (i) further education and (ii) life-long learning opportunities. [218798]
Mr. Timms: Every participant in the New Deals, whatever their age, can call on the services of a personal adviser, who can help the claimant to look for a job or overcome their own personal barriers to finding work. The New Deals allow those out of work to take a new look at their own personal situation and to take the skills and experience that they may have already and build on them to create better opportunities for work.
Jobcentre Plus signposts its customers to relevant non-Department for Work and Pensions contracted provision, i.e.; University for Industry (Ufl) learndirect, apprenticeship opportunities, Career Development Loans, Adult Learning Grant, Nextstep and IAG (Information, Advice and Guidance) provision in Scotland and Wales.
The development and delivery of programmes to help unemployed people in Northern Ireland into work is the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Office.
Pension Credit
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many and what proportion of recipients of backdated pension credit benefit had incomes below 60 per cent. of median income before housing costs (a) before and (b) after receiving backdated pension credit in the most recent period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement; [219207]
(2) what assessment the Department has made of the likely effect on pensioner poverty of the Department’s proposals to reduce the backdating period for pension credit; and if he will make a statement. [219208]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The specific information requested is not available.
Since the introduction of pension credit the number of pensioners with incomes below 60 per cent. of median income after deducting housing costs, have fallen by 500,000. The proposal to change the length of time allowed for customers to claim pension credit (known as backdating) from 12 to three months is part of a further package of pensions measures that will make claiming benefit entitlements simpler and less intrusive and deliver extra support to low-income pensioners. This package includes the introduction of a more automatic claims process for housing benefit and council tax benefit claims made over the phone with pension credit claims, which will benefit around 50,000 pensioners over the comprehensive spending review period.
Tackling pensioner poverty is a priority. We will continue to strive to ensure that older people are aware of, and take up their entitlements through initiatives such as: sophisticated data matching to identify eligible non-recipients, home visits for vulnerable customers, local and national advertising and media campaigns, a simple and straight-forward claim process and ever closer working with partner organisations.
Pension Service: Telephone Services
Mr. Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what income his Department received from the Pension Service's 0845 number in (a) 2007-08, (b) 2006-07 and (c) 2005-06. [217546]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: I am told that the information is not available in the form requested.
Although the DWP, which includes the Pension Service, received a £1.5 million rebate on its telephone charges from British Telecom, in relation to its 0845 services for the period from 1 October 2005 to the 30 November 2007, this rebate was offset against DWP telephony costs. After this date, the rebate arrangements ceased. This change in arrangement does not affect the charge a customer pays for contacting the Department. The charge a customer pays depends on their personal contract.
No information is available for any earlier period, nor on the amount relating specifically to calls to the Pension Service.
Pensioners: Poverty
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what estimate his Department has made of the effect on pensioner poverty if the caseload take-up rate for housing benefit/local housing allowance among pensioners increased to (a) 100 per cent. and (b) 90 per cent.; and if he will make a statement; [218678]
(2) what estimate his Department has made of the effect on pensioner poverty if the expenditure take-up rate for the guarantee element of pension credit increased to (a) 100 per cent. and (b) 90 per cent.; and if he will make a statement; [218682]
(3) what estimate his Department has made of the effect on pensioner poverty if the expenditure take-up rates for the guarantee and savings element of pension credit increased to (a) 100 per cent. (b) 90 per cent. and (c) 80 per cent.; and if he will make a statement; [218683]
(4) what estimate his Department has made of the effect on pensioner poverty if the caseload take-up rate for the savings element of pension credit increased to (a) 100 per cent. (b) 90 per cent. and (c) 80 per cent.; and if he will make a statement; [218684]
(5) what estimate his Department has made of the likely effect on levels of pensioner poverty if the caseload take-up rate for housing benefits or local housing allowance among pensioners were increased to 100 per cent.; and if he will make a statement; [219718]
(6) what estimate his Department has made of the likely effect on levels of pensioner poverty if the expenditure take-up rate for council tax benefits amongst pensioners were increased to (a) 100 per cent., (b) 90 per cent. (c) 80 per cent. and (d) 70 per cent.; and if he will make a statement [219719]
(7) what estimate his Department has made of the likely effect on levels of pensioner poverty if the caseload take-up rate for council tax benefits among pensioners were increased to (a) 100 per cent. (b) 90 per cent. (c) 80 per cent. and (d) 70 per cent.; and if he will make a statement; [219720]
(8) what estimate his Department has made of the likely effect on levels of pensioner poverty if the caseload take-up rate for the guarantee and savings element of pension credits were (a) 100 per cent. (b) 90 per cent. and (c) 80 per cent.; and if he will make a statement; [219721]
(9) what estimate his Department has made of the likely effect on levels of pensioner poverty if the expenditure take-up rate for the savings element of pension credits were increased to (a) 100 per cent., and (b) 90 per cent.; and if he will make a statement; [219722]
(10) what estimate his Department has made of the likely effect on levels of pensioner poverty if the caseload take-up rate for the guarantee element of pension credit were increased to (a) 100 per cent. and (b) 90 per cent; and if he will make a statement. [219723]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: Poverty is a complex and multidimensional issue and, as such, there are many possible measures of poverty.
It is generally accepted that low income is central to any poverty measurement. Definitions of low income households are set out in the annual national statistics publication households below average income. This reports numbers of individuals in households below or persistently below 50 per cent., 60 per cent. and 70 per cent. of median household income before and after deducting housing costs.
The information is not available in the format requested. It is not possible to model the impact of less than full take up of individual benefits on the number of individuals in households below thresholds of median household income in a robust way.
Estimates will depend on which eligible non-recipients take up which benefit and where they are within the income distribution.
It is estimated that if there were 100 per cent. take up off all income-related benefits by everyone in the population entitled to claim them the number of pensioners below 60 per cent. of contemporary median income would fall by around 700,000, after housing costs have been taken into account, based on 2008-09 benefit rates.
Tackling pensioner poverty remains a priority. We will continue to strive to ensure that older people are aware of, and take up their entitlements through initiatives such as; using sophisticated data matching to identify eligible non-recipients, home visits for vulnerable customers, local and national advertising and media campaigns, a simple and straight-forward claim process and ever closer working with partner organisations. In addition to pension credit we have increased winter fuel payments to £200 for households with someone aged 60-79, and £300 for those with someone aged 80 or over. And we will be making an additional payment for winter 2008-09 of £50 for households with someone aged 60-79 and £100 for those with someone aged 80 or over. Since 1997, we have also introduced free eye-tests, free bus passes for pensioners and free television licences for over 75s.
Jenny Willott:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what estimate his Department has made of the effect on levels of pensioner poverty of the
eradication of fraud and error from (a) the savings element of pension credits, (b) housing benefit and local housing allowance, (c) disability living allowance and (d) all benefits systems; and if he will make a statement; [219149]
(2) what estimate his Department has made of the effect on levels of pensioner poverty of the eradication of fraud and error from payments of the guarantee element of pension credits; and if he will make a statement; [219724]
(3) what estimate his Department has made of the likely effect on levels of pensioner poverty of the eradication of fraud and error from payments of the guarantee and savings element of pension credits; and if he will make a statement; [219725]
(4) what estimate his Department has made of the likely effect on levels of pensioner poverty of the eradication of fraud and error from council tax benefit payments; and if he will make a statement. [219726]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Government are committed to tackling pensioner poverty. The strategy since 1997 has been to target help on the poorest pensioners, those who need it most, while providing a solid foundation of support for all.
We have made significant progress. The number of pensioners in relative poverty has fallen by 900,000 since 1998-99 and by around 500,000 since the introduction of pension credit in 2003 (after housing costs).
We are keen to ensure that support goes to the right customers at the right time and are committed to reducing fraud and error across the benefit system. The estimate
of fraud and error across all benefits has reduced by a third since 2000-01 and for fraud is down by two-thirds during the same period.
Information on the impact of the eradication of fraud and error on levels of pensioner poverty is not available.
Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of pensioners lived below the Government's designated poverty level, broken down by (a) sex and (b) age in each year since 1997. [212897]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: Poverty is a complex and multidimensional issue and, as such, there are many possible measures.
It is generally accepted that low income is central to any poverty measurement. As no single measure captures all aspects of poverty, the public service agreement “Tackle poverty and promote greater independence and wellbeing in later life” includes a range of indicators related to low income for pensioners. These are the percentage of pensioners in relative low income (below 50 and 60 per cent. contemporary median household income), and absolute low income (below 60 per cent. of 1998-99 median income uprated in line with prices), measured after housing costs.
Figures for the number and percentage of pensioners below the 60 per cent. contemporary median household income after housing costs threshold by gender and age are shown in the following tables. Further information is set out in the annual national statistics publication “Households Below Average Income” which is available in the Library.
| Number of pensioners living in households with less than 60 per cent. of contemporary median household income after housing costs, by gender and age—Figures are United Kingdom from 2002-03 onwards. Earlier years are great Britain only | |||||||||
| Gender | Age | ||||||||
| Male | Female | 60-64 | 65-69 | 70-74 | 75-79 | 80-84 | 85+ | All pensioners | |
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