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26 Nov 2008 : Column 2008W—continued
Occupational Pensions
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many occupational pension schemes have fully wound up since 1997; how many are in the process of winding up; and what the membership of such schemes was in each year since 1997. [226171]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The following information was provided by the pensions regulator.
(a) The number of schemes in the UK that have wound up for a variety of reasons since 2 April 1997 is 76,675
(b) The number of schemes that have been winding up since 2 April 1997 is 7,590. The total membership of these schemes is 358,871.
Notes:
1. The data supplied by the pensions regulator is current as at 9 October 2008. It has been enhanced and updated with information received via the new scheme returns, which includes new data for small defined contribution schemes.
2. A wound up scheme is one which has notified the pensions regulator that it has completed winding up procedures. In some cases schemes notify the pensions regulator that they have completed winding up procedures without having previously notified the regulator that they have commenced winding up procedures.
3. A winding up scheme is one which has notified the pensions regulator that it has commenced winding up procedures.
4. Total membership includes active, deferred and pensioner members. It is not possible to provide a breakdown of these numbers.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had with the Pensions Regulator on the ability of companies with final salary pension schemes to make up the shortfalls in assets following the credit crunch. [239893]
Jonathan Shaw: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Pathways to Work
Mr. Harper:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was spent on the Pathways to Work programme in (a) 2003-04, (b) 2004-05, (c) 2005-06, (d) 2006-07 and (e) 2007-08, broken down by district; how many customers on the programme in each district were in employment for 13 consecutive weeks or more in each year from 2003-04 to 2007-08;
and how much he plans to spend on the programme in (i) 2008-09, (ii) 2009-10 and (iii) 2010-11. [234059]
Mr. McNulty [holding answer 10 November 2008]: The available information about past and planned expenditure on Pathways to Work is in the tables. Information about past expenditure by district could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Information on how many customers on the Pathways programme were in employment for 13 consecutive weeks or more in each year from 2003-04 to 2007-08 is not available.
| Pathways to work past expenditure | |||||
| £millions | |||||
| 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | |
| Notes: 1. Pathways to Work started in October 2003 in five districts. Consequently, expenditure was low in 2003-04 and has increased as the programme has rolled out nationally. 2. Expenditure figures exclude administration costs as they cannot be separately identified at a programme level. 3. All figures are confirmed spend and are quoted in cash terms. 4. A full regional breakdown of Pathways to Work spend is not available after 2004-05 as Pathways to Work was managed centrally as a project and spend was captured at a national level. 5. Figures of zero represent costs of less than £0.5 million and therefore round to zero. 6. Figures are rounded to the nearest £1 million and are all subject to rounding differences. Source: DWP financial systems. | |||||
Pension Credit
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) when it became possible for an out-of-work man aged between 60 to 64 years old to claim pension credit instead of jobseeker's allowance; [236959]
(2) what benefits an unemployed man aged between 60 and 64 years old was entitled to claim before the introduction of pension credit. [236960]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Pension Credit was introduced on the 6 October 2003, prior to its introduction men aged between 60 and 64 were able to choose whether they claimed the Minimum Income Guarantee (Income Support for those aged 60 or over) or Jobseekers Allowance—provided they met the eligibility criteria. When Pension Credit replaced the Minimum Income Guarantee, men in this group could continue to choose between claiming Pension Credit or Jobseekers Allowance, again provided they met the eligibility criteria.
The age from which people can get Pension Credit will gradually increase from 60 to 65 between 2010 and 2020. This is in line with women's state pension age which is increasing to 65, the same as for men.
Before Pension Credit was introduced, unemployed men aged between 60 to 64 may have been eligible for one or more of the following benefits dependant on their circumstances: Income Support, Jobseekers Allowance, Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit, DLA, Incapacity Benefit, Bereavement Allowance, Widowed Parent's Allowance, Carer's Allowance and Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit. These benefits remain available to men in this age group, with the exception of Income Support.
Pension Credit: Housing
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of pension credit claimants received a premium for each type of housing cost in each year since pension credit was introduced. [238212]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The information that is available is in the following table.
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost was of the housing cost premium paid out to pension credit claimants in each year since it was introduced. [238213]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Pension Credit recipients may be eligible to additional help with certain housing costs which they are liable to pay, that are not covered by Housing Benefit. Housing costs include mortgage interest payments, and other allowable charges such as ground rents and certain service charges. The Pension Credit standard minimum guarantee of £124.05 for single pensioners (£189.35 for couples) is increased by the relevant amount of the housing cost where the customer is entitled to an additional amount for housing. In the 2008 Pre-Budget Report the Chancellor announced that from April 2009 the Pension Credit standard minimum guarantee will rise to £130 a week for single pensioners, £198.45 for couples, which represents the largest increase since its introduction.
The guarantee element of Pension Credit tops income up to the appropriate guarantee level, which means that people entitled to an additional amount for housing costs could receive either more or less than the additional amount for housing costs depending on their circumstances. It is not possible to specify what element of a Pension Credit payment relates specifically to the additional amount for housing costs, therefore the following table contains Pension Credit expenditure where there is entitlement to an additional amount for housing costs.
| Expenditure on pension credit customers entitled to an additional amount for housing costs | ||
| Expenditure in cash terms (£)m | Expenditure in 2008-09 prices (£m) | |
| Notes: (1). Pension Credit was introduced October 2003, so expenditure figures for 2003-04 are part year figures. (2). Estimates represent the expenditure on total Pension Credit for those claimants who are entitled to an additional amount for housing costs. Depending on the customer's income, this may be either higher or lower than the nominal value of the additional amount for housing costs. It is not possible to specify what part of expenditure relates to the additional amount for housing costs. (3). Expenditure has been converted from cash terms to 2008-09 prices using GDP Deflators which were published alongside the 2008 pre-Budget Report. Source: DWP: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent data, five per cent. sample data and DWP Accounting Systems. | ||
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the (a) maximum and (b) minimum amount was that can be paid to claimants of the additional housing cost premium of pension credit in each year since its introduction. [238214]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Pension Credit recipients may be eligible to additional help with certain housing costs which they are liable to pay, that are not covered by Housing Benefit. Housing costs include mortgage interest payments, and other allowable charges such as ground rents and certain service charges.
No minimum or maximum thresholds are applied to housing costs with the exception of mortgage interest and interest on loans. Generally there is a £100,000 limit on the outstanding capital of a loan. If the loan is for more than £100,000 then only the interest on £100,000 can be included in an assessment of an additional amount for housing costs.
The £100,000 limit does not apply if the loan was taken out and used in full, or in part, to adapt their home for the special needs of a disabled person.
The £100,000 limit was introduced on 10 April 1995.
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average amount is of the additional housing cost premium of pension credit which has been paid to claimants in receipt of it in each year since its introduction; and if he will make a statement. [238215]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Pension Credit recipients may be eligible to additional help with certain housing costs which they are liable to pay, that are not covered by Housing Benefit. Housing costs include mortgage interest payments, and other allowable charges such as ground rents and certain service charges. The Pension Credit standard minimum guarantee of £124.05 for single pensioners (£189.35 for couples) is increased by the relevant amount of the housing cost where the customer is entitled to an additional amount for housing.
The guarantee element of Pension Credit tops income up to the appropriate guarantee level, which means that people entitled to an additional amount for housing costs could receive a Pension Credit payment of either more or less than the additional amount for housing depending on their circumstances. It is not possible to specify what element of a Pension Credit payment relates specifically to the additional amount for housing costs.
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