| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
19 Mar 2009 : Column 1296W—continued
Pensioners: Lump Sum Payments
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the percentage of retirees who took a 25 per cent. tax-free lump sum from their pension fund on retirement in the latest period for which figures are available. [264777]
Ms Rosie Winterton: No information is available about the percentage of retirees taking a 25 per cent. tax free lump sum from their pension fund on retirement. For occupational schemes, it is a matter for the scheme to decide whether to offer a lump sum and, if so, how much it should be within the tax rules. For personal and stakeholder pensions, it is for the scheme member to decide whether to take a lump sum, and, if so, what proportion of the fund, subject to the 25 per cent. limit.
Pensioners: Social Security Benefits
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which groups of pensioners are not eligible to receive the (a) £60 bonus and (b) £10 Christmas bonus; and if he will make a statement. [263374]
Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 13 March 2009]: Eligibility for both instalments of the Christmas bonus paid in winter 2008-09 is determined under the same rules. In order to receive the bonus in winter 2008-09, an individual must be entitled to one of a list of qualifying benefits, which includes the state pension and pension credit, in the week commencing 22 December 2008, and must be living in the UK or elsewhere in the EU or EEA. People who do not meet these qualifying conditions will not receive a Christmas bonus. The Social Security Administration Act 1992 provides that except in prescribed circumstances no person shall be entitled to a benefit unless he has made a claim for it.
Social Fund
David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much of the funds lent under the (a) budgeting loans scheme and (b) crisis loan scheme were overdue for repayment in each of the last three financial years for which figures are available. [263820]
Kitty Ussher: Standard repayment terms for social fund loans are 104 weeks, and in exceptional circumstances this can be extended to 130 weeks. Recoveries can also be rescheduled for a number of reasons including a customer experiencing hardship or entering custody or care.
| Amount overdue( 1) | ||
| £ million | ||
| Budgeting loans | Crisis loans | |
| (1 )Over two years old. | ||
From 2006, as part of a policy designed to make the social fund more accessible to customers and make the repayment terms less onerous, the amounts people might borrow were increased by 50 per cent. and the repayment terms extended. Accordingly the amounts, lent and outstanding, grew as a consequence of these changes.
Around £8 billion in loans has been awarded since 1988, of which £900 million remains outstanding. Only £38 million (0.5 per cent.) has been written off to date and recoveries continue to be pursued beyond the 104 and 130 weeks date for both on and off benefit customers.
State Retirement Pension
Mr. Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what mechanisms are in place to ensure that a state pensioner switching from monthly to weekly payments for the state pension receives the correct amount of pension. [263955]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Payments of state pension are routinely checked for accuracy. Currently a sample of approximately 1 per cent. of all payments are checked. The interim year to date accuracy figure for February 2009 is 97.09 per cent. A change in payment frequency, from monthly to weekly, does not trigger any specific additional check to ensure the right amount is being paid.
Mr. Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people changed from receiving the state pension monthly to weekly using (a) the telephone and (b) other means in the most recent period for which figures are available. [263957]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not available.
Mr. Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners changed from receiving their state pension monthly to weekly in the latest period for which figures are available. [263958]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not available.
Written Questions: Government Responses
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he plans to reply to question (a) 257376, on research into pensioner savings, (b) 257377, on pension credit calculation, (c) 257378, on pension credit income attribution, (d) 257379, on pension credit income attribution and (e) 257380, on pensioner income from savings, tabled on 11 February 2009. [261854]
Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 10 March 2009]: The right hon. Gentleman’s questions were answered as follows:
257377, 257378 and 257379 on 10 March 2009, Official Report, column 272W.
257376 and 257380 on 12 March 2009, Official Report, column 687W.
Defence
Armed Forces: Death
Mrs. Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) combat and (b) non-combat deaths of personnel of each of the armed forces there were in (i) Iraq, (ii) Afghanistan, (iii) Germany and (iv) other overseas postings in (A) 2003 and (B) 2008. [264409]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The following table provides a breakdown by country of deaths to UK Service personnel:
Mrs. Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel died in the UK as a result of (a) natural causes, (b) road traffic accidents, (c) suicide or self-inflicted causes and (d) other causes, including outstanding coroner's verdicts, in (i) 2003 and (ii) 2008. [264410]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The following table provides a breakdown by cause of death for UK regular service personnel.
| Table: UK deaths by cause for UK regular armed forces personnel, 2003 and 2007, numbers | ||
| Cause of death | 2003 | 2007 |
| (1) In addition, two service personnel died in the UK in 2007 as a result of injuries sustained as a result of hostile action in Iraq. | ||
Of the deaths as a result of “other causes” in 2003, there is one death awaiting a coroner's inquest.
Of the deaths as a result of “other causes” in 2007, the latest year the Defence Analytical Services Agency has published cause of death information, there are seven deaths awaiting a coroner's inquest.
Armed Forces: Families
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent steps his Department has taken to assist service families. [263455]
Mr. Kevan Jones [ h olding answer 16 March 2009]: Following the publication of the Nation’s Commitment: Cross Government Support to our Armed Forces, their Families and Veterans, the MOD has continued to work with other Departments and the devolved administrations to deliver the commitments made. To address problems caused by mobility, the Government have increased recognition for service children in the Schools Admissions Code, ensured that families on NHS waiting lists will not be disadvantaged by service moves and given service spouses and partners early access to new deal to help them stay in employment.
A number of measures have been introduced to help service families access accommodation. Priority status for affordable housing schemes has been extended to service families in England, Scotland and Wales and to injured personnel for access to adapted affordable housing schemes; both remain for 12 months after leaving the service to help transition to civilian life. Service families applying for social housing on leaving the service will now be treated on a par with civilians in the area that they are serving.
The MOD and single services have increased by 20 per cent. the number of specialist welfare support staff over the last year, doubled the grant to help units support families of deployed personnel and provided better internet access and cheaper telephone minutes to deployed personnel.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |