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12 Nov 2009 : Column 791W—continued
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what her latest estimate is of the number of women due to reach state pension age in each month of the next seven years; and if she will make a statement; [293580]
(2) what her latest estimate is of the number of women due to reach state pension age in each year between 2010 and 2026; and if she will make a statement. [293581]
Angela E. Smith: I have been asked to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Questions regarding the latest estimate of the number of women who will reach state pension age in each month of the next seven years (293580) and the latest estimate of the number of women due to reach state pension age in each year between 2010 and 2026.(293581)
These figures are not available immediately but ONS will place a copy of the tables in the House of Commons library once the appropriate analysis has been undertaken.
Pensions: Expenditure
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate she has made of (a) gross and (b) net cost of restoring the link between the basic state pension and earnings in each year between 2010 and 2015. [293575]
Angela Eagle: The basic state pension is increased by 2.5 per cent. when this is higher than September RPI inflation. This will apply in 2010, which means that the increase in the basic state pension will also exceed growth in average earnings.
The gross and net additional basic state pension spend due to increasing the basic state pension by earnings from 2010 and the 2007 Pensions Act reforms are given in the following table:
| Additional basic state pension spend due to pension reform and uprating the basic state pension by earnings from 2010-11, 2009-10 price terms | ||
| £ billions | ||
| Gross | Net of income related benefits | |
| Notes: 1. Baseline published projections of expenditure on pensioner benefits assume that the basic state pension is increased by earnings from 2012. Prior to 2012, projections assume that the basic state pension is uprated by the greater of RPI or 2.5 per cent. 2. Estimates given show the gross additional basic state pension spend due to increasing the basic state pension by earnings from 2010 and implementing all of the other 2007 Pensions Act reforms to the basic state pension from April 2010 relative to uprating by RPI or 2.5 per cent. They also reflect the estimated savings from reduced income related benefit payments (pension credit, housing benefit and council tax benefit). During the next Parliament, we will re-link the uprating of the basic state pension to average earnings. Our objective, subject to affordability and the fiscal position, is to do this in 2012, but in any event by the end of the next Parliament at the latest. We will make a statement on the precise date at the beginning of the next Parliament. 3. In the financial years up to and including 2014-15 Treasury Economic assumptions consistent with Table C1 of the Budget report 2009 have been used to model earnings uprating. 4. The costs and savings estimates provided are based on future projections of earnings and price inflation-which are inherently uncertain and subject to change particularly in light of the current economic uncertainty. This is underlined by the fact that the estimated cost of earnings uprating has changed significantly from estimates based on Treasury Economic Assumptions consistent with Table B1 of the pre-Budget report 2008. 5. Generally earnings rise faster than prices resulting in a greater cost from earnings uprating that would build over time-this would still be expected to hold over the medium and long term. Therefore despite the initial savings produced under current inflation forecasts, the introduction of earnings uprating would still be expected to increase expenditure on the basic state pension significantly as the cumulative costs of this policy grow over time. 6. If the restoration of the earnings link to the basic state pension were brought forward to 2010, the weekly value of the basic state pension to pensioners would be below the 2.5 per cent. increase committed to by the Chancellor at Budget 2009. 7. Estimates are in 2009-10 prices, have been rounded to the nearest £100 million and include UK and Overseas claimants. Source: DWP modelling. | ||
Pensions: Fraud
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many cases of pension mis-selling there have been in (a) Vale of Clwyd and (b) each region in each of the last 10 years. [299715]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: I have been asked to reply.
The Government do not hold the figures requested.
Return to Work Credit
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many former incapacity benefit or employment and support allowance claimants have claimed a return to work credit since its introduction. [298780]
Jonathan Shaw: Between 27 October 2003 and 31 January 2009, 92,500 individuals claimed the return to work credit.
Social Security Benefits
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what estimate she has made of expected (a) on-flows, (b) off-flows and (c) stock claimant numbers for (i) incapacity benefit (credits only), (ii) incapacity benefit (benefits), (iii) severe disablement allowance and (iv) employment and support allowance in the (A) support and (B) work-related activity group in each of the next five years; [290934]
(2) what the estimated (a) on-flow and (b) off-flow for (i) employment and support allowance and (ii) jobseeker's allowance are for each year to 2012-13 (A) with and (B) without implementation of the proposed policy changes contained in "Raising Expectations and Increasing Support: Reforming Welfare for the Future". [291006]
Jim Knight: The policy changes contained within "Raising Expectations and Increasing Support: Reforming Welfare for the Future" were not reflected in our caseload assumptions for Budget 2009 as final decisions on the shape and timing of the conversion exercise from incapacity benefit to employment and support allowance had not then been made. Revised forecasts will be issued shortly following the pre-Budget report which will reflect those changes. Details of which will be published in the normal way.
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what pilots are in place to test arrangements to improve links between housing organisations and Jobcentre Plus services. [298718]
Jim Knight: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked the Acting Chief Executive to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking what pilots are in place to test arrangements to improve links between housing organisations and Jobcentre Plus services. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
Jobcentre Plus engages with housing organisations at the delivery level through its partnership activity led by External Relations Managers. How and to what extent Jobcentre Plus Districts decide to do this is largely a matter for local discretion, balanced with wider business and partnership needs.
However, I am aware of the strong links between social housing and worklessness, and indeed, other measures of deprivation. Housing organisations have become increasingly important partners
in delivering services to those most at risk of long term benefit dependency. We have common goals in helping social tenants to find and progress in work.
I have asked three Jobcentre Plus Districts (South London, Merseyside, and South Tyne and Wear Valley) to establish small teams of advisers to develop stronger links with social housing providers and with other local partner organisations. We are working with social housing organisations and with colleagues in Communities and Local Government (CLG) to deliver this estates-based approach. Jobcentre Plus advisers are working directly in local communities with high levels of social housing and high levels of deprivation. Their role is to engage with workless people who may otherwise be unlikely to take full advantage of the help available to them. The Teams offer a joined up service, through the support available from Jobcentre Plus and its partners, helping people move closer to, and into, work.
The approach is being overseen by a national Steering Group which includes representatives from the social housing sector and CLG. We will be reviewing how effective this enhanced partnership working can be in improving links between housing organisations and Jobcentre Plus.
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate she has made of the number of households (a) in total and (b) with at least one person of working age which were in receipt of benefits in excess of (i) £15,000, (ii) £20,000, (iii) £25,000, (iv) £30,000, (v) £40,000, (vi) £50,000 and (vii) £75,000 in each year since 1997. [298868]
Jim Knight: The available information is in the tables. The information is taken from the Family Resources Survey 1997-98 to 2007-08. Sample sizes are too small to yield reliable results for households in receipt of benefits of £25,000 or more in any year.
The Family Resources Survey includes declared income from the full range of social security benefits administered by Department for Work and Pensions, HM Revenue and Customs, Service Personnel and Veterans Agency and local authorities; it does not include income from tax credits. The amount of benefits a family receives is entirely dependent on its individual circumstances.
| N umber of households receiving benefits in excess of £15,000 per year, in real terms and as a percentage of all households in the survey area, in 2007-08 prices in each year since 1997-98 | ||
| Households receiving benefits in excess of £15,000 p.a. | Households receiving benefits in excess of £15,000 p.a. as a percentage of all households | |
| N umber of households with at least one working-age person receiving benefits in excess of £15,000 per year, in real terms and as a percentage of all households in the survey area, in 2007-08 prices in each year since 1997-98 | ||
| Households receiving benefits in excess of £15,000 p.a. | Households receiving benefits in excess of £15,000 p.a. as a percentage of all households | |
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