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Poverty: Pensioners

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners are living in absolute poverty in Crosby constituency; and how many did so in 1997. [236605]

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 the north west on the numbers of pensioners below 60 per cent. of 1998-99 median income uprated in line with prices is given in the following table.

Number of pensioners below 60 per cent. of the 1998-99 median household income uprated in line with prices after housing costs, North West
	Number (million)
1997-98 to 1999-2000	0.3
2004-05 to 2006-07	0.1
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.

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners were living in poverty in each region of the UK (a) after housing costs and (b) before housing costs in each year since 1990. [234499]

19 Nov 2008 : Column 565W

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),
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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.

Information that is available on the number of pensioners living below 60 per cent. of contemporary median household income, after and before housing costs, by Government office region is given in the following tables.

Table 1: Number of pensioners falling below 60 per cent. of contemporary media household income, after housing costs by region or country
Million
	1994-95 to 1996-97	1995-96 to 1997-98	1996-97 to 1998-99	1997-98 to 1999-2000	1998-99 to 2000-01	1999-2000 to 2001-02	2000-01 to 2002-03	2001-02 to 2003-04	2002-03 to 2004-05	2003-04 to 2005-06	2004-05 to 2006-07
North East	0.2	0.2	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1
North West	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.2	0.2
Yorkshire and the Humber	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2
East Midlands	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2
West Midlands	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2
East of England	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2
London	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.2	0.2	0.2
South East	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.2	0.2
South West	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2
Scotland	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.1
Wales	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1
Northern Ireland	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1

Table 2: Number of pensioners falling below 60 per cent. of contemporary media house hold income, before housing costs by region or country
Million
	1994-95 to 1996-97	1995-96 to 1997-98	1996-97 to 1998-99	1997-98 to 1999-2000	1998-99 to 2000-01	1999-2000 to 2001-02	2000-01 to 2002-03	2001-02 to 2003-04	2002-03 to 2004-05	2003-04 to 2005-06	2004-0 5 to 2006-07
North East	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1
North West	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3
Yorkshire and the Humber	0.2	0.2	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2
East Midlands	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2
West Midlands	0.2	0.2	0.3	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.2	0.2
East of England	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.3	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2
London	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2
South East	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3
South West	0.2	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.2	0.2	0.2
Scotland	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2
Wales	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1
Northern Ireland	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1
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. Figures have been presented on both a Before Housing Cost and After Housing Cost basis. For Before Housing Cost, housing costs (such as rent, water rates, mortgage interest payments, structural insurance payments and ground rent and service charges) are not deducted from income, while for After Housing Cost they are. 6. Numbers of pensioners in low income households have been rounded to the nearest 100,000 pensioners. 7. Totals may not sum due to rounding. 8. Data for Northern Ireland are only available from 1998-99 to 2000-01 onwards. 9. Specific information regarding low income for the United Kingdom is available in “Households Below Average Income 1994/95-2006/07”.

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