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18 Nov 2008 : Column 444W—continued
Pensioners: Poverty
Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioner households were in poverty in Enfield North constituency in each year since 1997. [235414]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Poverty is a complex and multidimensional issue and, as such, there are many possible measures of poverty.
Our 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 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), all measured after housing costs have been taken into account.
The data source does not allow us to provide robust numbers for estimates below the level of Government office region. Information for London on the numbers of pensioners below each of these thresholds is given in the following table.
| Number of pensioners falling below various thresholds of median household income, after housing costs, London | |||
| Million | |||
| Below 60 per cent. of contemporary median household income | Below 50 per cent. of contemporary median household income | Below 60 per cent. of the 1998-99 median household income uprated in line with prices | |
| Notes: 1. Three survey year averages are given as regional single year estimates are subject to volatility. 2. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication ‘Households Below Average Income’ (HBAI) series, which uses disposable household income, adjusted (or “equivalised”) for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living. 3. The figures are based on OECD equivalisation factors. 4. Figures are based on survey data and as such are subject to a degree of sampling and non-sampling error. 5. Numbers of pensioners in low income households have been rounded to the nearest 100,000 pensioners. | |||
Pensioners: Social Security Benefits
John Mason: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps the Government are taking to simplify the process for pensioners to claim benefits to which they are entitled. [225281]
Ms Rosie Winterton: We have simplified the claim process to make pension credit easier to claim. Customers no longer need to sign and return their pension credit claim forms, claims can be made entirely over the phone.
This autumn, we are introducing a measure which will enable claims to housing benefit and council tax benefit made over the phone with pension credit, to be forwarded directly to the local authority without the need for a signature—this is a significant simplification to the claim process and should benefit thousands of pensioners.
In February 2007, an additional question was introduced in the pension credit application process to identify relevant caring responsibilities in order to invite the customer, where appropriate, to claim carer's allowance using a new, shortened, claim pack specifically designed for people of pension age.
Pensions: Overseas Residence
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the cost of up-rating the frozen pensions for retired UK nationals resident abroad who have reached the ages of (a) 70, (b) 75 and (c) 80 years. [235305]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The latest estimates for the cost of uprating the UK state pension for all those in the relevant age groups living in frozen-rate countries are in the following table. They relate to the estimated additional cost that would be incurred in 2008-09 were frozen pensions to be uprated to their unfrozen level but without paying arrears.
| 2008-09 price terms | |
| Age | £ million |
| Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest £10 million. Source: Internal estimates using September 2007 retirement pension administrative data: 5 per cent. sample | |
Pensions: Payments
Mr. Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he has instructed the Pension Service to write to giro cheque pension recipients telling them that this payment process is to end and that they should seek alternative arrangements; and if he will issue guidance to the Pension Service on future communications to such recipients. [235722]
Ms Rosie Winterton: My Department has been writing to customers paid by DWP cheque since 2005.
We are contacting customers who are currently being paid by cheque so that we can try and arrange to pay their benefit or pension into an account. This is not new, and is all part of the process of modernising the way benefits and pensions are paid. In fact, we have contacted many customers paid by cheque since we phased out order books in 2005. We are also informing customers that we plan to phase out the current cheque system so that we can pay customers in a more secure, efficient and reliable way.
We have always said that each customer’s benefit or pension should be paid into an account if this is possible. This is the most efficient, secure and reliable way of making payments. It can also mean that customers can take advantage of the benefits of banking, such as more
choice about where and when they collect their money and the discounts offered when they pay some bills by direct debit.
The letters currently being sent to cheque customers were agreed by Ministers.
Post Office Card Account
Mr. Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many people in (a) Kingston and Surbiton constituency and (b) the Royal Borough of Kingston have a Post Office Card Account, broken down by local authority ward; [235683]
(2) how many benefit and pension accounts are paid into a Post Office Card Account in (a) Kingston and Surbiton constituency, (b) the Royal Borough of Kingston and (c) each local authority ward in the Royal Borough of Kingston; and what estimate he has made of the number of claimants in each such area who have more than one account. [235684]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Information is not available in the precise format requested.
The table shows the number of benefit and pension accounts paid into a Post Office card account in (a) Kingston and Surbiton constituency and (b) the Royal borough of Kingston and (c) each council ward in the Royal borough of Kingston.
Claimants can only have one Post Office card account but can have more than one benefit paid into that account.
| All | Other benefit | State pension | |
| Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 therefore may not add up due to rounding. 2. Figures refer to payment accounts live and in payment as at 12 April 2008. Claimants with more than one account will be counted for each account. 3. Child benefit is administered by HM Revenue and Customs and war pensions are administered by MOD. These benefits have therefore been excluded. Source: DWP, Information Directorate | |||
Poverty: Pensioners
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners were living in poverty in Vale of Clwyd constituency in each of the last 16 years. [234500]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Poverty is a complex and multidimensional issue and, as such, there are many possible measures of poverty.
Our 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 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), all measured after housing costs have been taken into account.
The data source does not allow us to provide robust numbers for estimates below the level of Government office region. The information that is available for the numbers of pensioners in Wales below each of these thresholds is given in the following table:
| Number of pensioners falling below various thresholds of median household income, after housing costs, Wales | |||
| Million | |||
| Below 60 per cent. of contemporary median household income | Below 50 per cent. of contemporary median household income | Below 60 per cent. of the 1998-99 median household income uprated in line with prices | |
| — indicates less than 50,000. Notes: 1. Three survey year averages are given as regional single year estimates are subject to volatility. 2. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication “Households Below Average Income' (HBAI) series, which uses disposable household income, adjusted (or “equivalised”) for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living. 3. The figures are based on OECD equivalisation factors. 4. Figures are based on survey data and as such are subject to a degree of sampling and non-sampling error. 5. Numbers of pensioners in low income households have been rounded to the nearest 100,000 pensioners. | |||
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