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26 Nov 2008 : Column 2015W—continued

26 Nov 2008 : Column 2016W

Household recipients of pension credit in parliamentary constituencies in Wales: May 2006 to May 2008
Constituency	May 2006	May 2007	May 2008
Aberavon	4,520	4,530	4,530
Alyn and Deeside	3,400	3,410	3,450
Blaenau Gwent	4,780	4,840	4,820
Brecon and Radnorshire	3,170	3,160	3,250
Bridgend	3,890	3,910	3,880
Caernarfon	3,760	3,780	3,620
Caerphilly	4,830	4,920	5,030
Cardiff Central	2,550	2,580	2,550
Cardiff North	2,880	2,910	2,870
Cardiff South and Penarth	5,360	5,410	5,390
Cardiff West	4,400	4,420	4,370
Carmarthen East and Dinefwr	3,850	3,870	3,850
Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire	4,130	4,200	4,130
Ceredigion	3,350	3,400	3,340
Clwyd South	3,930	3,970	3,990
Clwyd West	4,450	4,520	4,550
Conwy	3,900	3,860	3,840
Cynon Valley	4,060	4,080	3,960
Delyn	3,500	3,570	3,540
Gower	3,560	3,570	3,570
Islwyn	3,790	3,870	3,880
Llanelli	5,290	5,360	5,210
Meirionnydd Nant Conwy	2,490	2,520	2,490
Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney	4,640	4,650	4,580
Monmouth	3,400	3,440	3,380
Montgomeryshire	2,770	2,820	2,860
Neath	4,520	4,550	4,520
Newport East	3,600	3,660	3,660
Newport West	4,360	4,380	4,410
Ogmore	3,930	3,900	3,890
Pontypridd	4,360	4,440	4,370
Preseli Pembrokeshire	4,010	4,020	3,980
Rhondda	5,500	5,440	5,420
Swansea East	4,730	4,740	4,780
Swansea West	4,560	4,610	4,580
Torfaen	4,670	4,700	4,650
Vale of Clwyd	4,870	4,970	4,980
Vale of Glamorgan	4,000	4,060	4,030
Wrexham	3,580	3,600	3,600
Ynys Mon	4,010	4,080	4,110
Total	161,330	162,720	161,900
Notes: 1. Caseloads are rounded to the nearest ten, totals may not sum due to rounding. 2. Household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves only or on behalf on a household. Source: DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study

Pension Credits

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pension credit applications were not processed within 10 days in each of the last three years. [226155]

Ms Rosie Winterton: While the majority of claims are processed within the actual average clearance time target, there are some cases where it is necessary to request additional information from the customer to ensure they get all the money to which they are entitled.

The time taken to process a claim does not affect the start date of payments. Payment will be backdated to the point the claim was first submitted.

People should claim as soon as they think they are eligible. From October customers can claim four benefits in one free phone call: state pension, pension credit, council tax benefit and housing benefit. In some circumstances, we will also arrange face to face visits to help with completion of the claim.

Pension credit clearance times
	2005-06	2006-07	2007-208	( 1) 2008-09
Target (days)	(1)AACT 10	AACT 10	AACT 15	AACT 15
Total processed	427,748	334,501	280,097	142,293
Not processed within target	52,665	68,142	83,182	38,979
Percentage not processed within target	12.0	20.0	30.0	27.0
AACT (days)	8.8	11.9	15.6	14.6
(1) Year to date (September) (2) AACT - Actual Average Clearance Time Source: Pension Service Legacy System

26 Nov 2008 : Column 2017W

Pensioners: Expenditure

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much has been spent by his Department on pensioners per capita in (a) Crosby constituency and (b) England in each year since 1997. [236690]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The requested information for Crosby constituency is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Information for Great Britain is in the table.

Great Britain expenditure on pensioners, per capita: Prices 2008-09
£
1997-98	£5,863
1998-99	£5,980
1999-00	£6,248
2000-01	£6,463
2001-02	£6,763
2002-03	£6,864
2003-04	£6,945
2004-05	£7,127
2005-06	£7,269
2006-07	£7,329
2007-08	£7,447
Notes: 1 Expenditure on pensioners per capita has been assembled from pensioner expenditure on the basic state pension, state second pension, pension credit, winter fuel payments, attendance allowance, disability living allowance, housing benefit and council tax benefit. 2 Expenditure includes that going to people resident overseas. 3 Expenditure for pension credit, housing benefit, council tax benefit and winter fuel payments includes that going to men aged 60 to 64. 4 To calculate per capita expenditure, the assembled expenditure was divided by pensioner populations, namely men and women over state pension age. 5 All figures are for Great Britain. Information regarding Northern Ireland is a matter for the Northern Ireland Office. 6 The DWP expenditure tables can be found on the DWP website at the following address: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/expenditure.asp Source: The information has been calculated using DWP accounting data and the 2006-based population projections published by the Office for National Statistics.

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