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22 Feb 2010 : Column 99W—continued
Pensioners: Poverty
Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether her Department has commissioned recent research into the material deprivation of pensioner households. [316530]
Angela Eagle: The latest published research on material deprivation of pensioner households reported on a programme of work to develop new survey questions for DWP's Family Resources Survey which were introduced in May 2008. The research identified problems in measuring material deprivation among older people and suggested a new question structure to address these problems. Details of this research are available at:
Information from the survey will be included in Households Below Average Incomes 2008-09, due to be published in April/May 2010, reflecting responses to the 15 individual questions relating to material deprivation. We are currently in the process of commissioning research to assess options for combining these responses into an overall indicator of the material deprivation of pensioner households.
Pensions: Senior Civil Servants
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether bonus payments paid to senior civil servants form part of their remuneration for pension purposes. [315507]
Ms Butler: I have been asked to reply.
Civil servants, including senior civil servants, have the choice of a pension provided under the rules of the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme or an employer contribution to a stakeholder pension. The general principle is that bonus payments are not normally pensionable.
Sandwell
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if she will set out, with statistical evidence relating as closely as possible to the borough of Sandwell, the effects on that borough of changes to the policies of her Department and its predecessors since 1997. [316476]
Jonathan Shaw: DWP lead the Government's response to some of the biggest issues facing the country-welfare and pension reform-and are a key player in tackling child poverty(1). As the biggest delivery Department in the UK, DWP makes a difference to millions of people every day, helping them to lead safer, fairer and more rewarding lives that are free from poverty. We want to give people more choice and control over their lives and are committed to providing greater choice and personalised support to everyone who needs it so they have the opportunity to get into and remain in work. We believe that work works. Even in economically challenging times we know that work works for the most vulnerable and the disadvantaged.
Through Jobcentre Plus, we are promoting work as the best form of welfare for people of working age. Since 1997, although the number of people unemployed in West Bromwich East has increased by 37 per cent. to 3,660, the number unemployed for more than one year has decreased by 24 per cent. to 665. From May 1997 to May 2009 the number of lone parents claiming income support in West Bromwich, East has decreased by 2 per cent. to 1,370.
Our new deals have helped lone parents, the young unemployed, the long-term unemployed, disabled people, the over-50s and partners of unemployed people to move from benefit into work. Since their inception over 2.2 million people in Great Britain have found work with the support of the new deal, and 16,370 have been helped in the Sandwell local authority area.
We introduced a target to halve child poverty by 2010-11 on the way to eradicating it by 2020. Poverty is measured using a headline indicator of the proportion of children in households with an income below 60 per cent. of contemporary household median income before housing costs. This is in line with international best practice.
Statistics on the number of children living in poverty are not available at the constituency level, but the latest information for the West Midlands area shows that the proportion of children in poverty fell from 28 per cent. to 27 per cent. since 1997.
Since 1997, our strategy has been to target help on the poorest pensioners while providing a solid foundation of support for all.
This year we will be spending over £13 billion more on pensioners than if we had continued with the policies that were in place in 1997. Around half of that money will go to the poorest third of pensioners.
In 1997, the poorest pensioners who received income support, lived on £69 a week (£98 in today's prices). Today pension credit, which was introduced in 2003,
means no pensioner needs to live on less than £130 a week, £198.45 for couples. As of May 2009, 26,720 pensioners in the borough of Sandwell are benefiting from pension credit.
In 2007-08 there were 900,000 fewer pensioners living in relative poverty in UK compared to 1998-99 (measured as below 60 per cent. of contemporary median household income after housing costs).
Statistics on proportion of pensioners living in relative poverty are not available at the constituency level. But the latest data for the West Midlands Government Office Region show that the number of pensioners in poverty has fallen from 28 per cent. in 1997 to 18 per cent(2).
Pensioners in the UK also benefit from a range of additional support such as the winter fuel payment which this winter is worth £250 for households with someone aged between 60-79 and £400 for households with someone aged 80 or over. These payments provide vital reassurance to older people so that they can afford to turn up their heating during cold weather. Prior to winter 1997-98, less than £60 million was spent helping pensioners meet their fuel bills-this year we will be spending around £2.7 billion on winter fuel payments alone. In 2008-09, 55,210 people aged 60 and over benefited from winter fuel payments in the borough of Sandwell.
We have also taken steps to strengthen and protect the private pensions system to ensure people can continue to have confidence to save for their future through the establishment of the Pensions Protection Fund, the Financial Assistance Scheme and a more powerful and proactive pensions regulator.
The protection system ensures that, unlike in 1997, people are not left without a pension even in the event that their employer becomes insolvent.
In total 4,709 people in the West Midlands region are receiving compensation from the Pension Protection Fund (data not available at constituency level)(3).
We have also taken forward a radical package of pension reforms in the Pensions Acts of 2007 and 2008 which will deliver a fairer and more generous state pension and extend the opportunity of workplace pension saving to millions, many for the first time.
The state pension reforms begin to come into effect from 2010 and will mean around three quarters of women reaching state pension age in 2010 are expected to qualify for a full basic state pension compared to half without reform.
Support for disabled people and carers
Since 2001, we have significantly extended and improved civil rights for disabled people in areas such as employment, education, access to goods and services and transport. Disabled people in Sandwell will have benefited from these improvements. The Welfare Reform Act 2009 contains powers to increase choice and control for disabled adults, including disabled parents who are entitled to state support, enabling them to choose how certain state support is used to meet their individual needs. This will be trail-blazed in up to eight local authority areas from late 2010.
Older and less well-off carers have gained extra help through the provisions within the National Carers Strategy.
(1) The Department for Work and Pensions was created in 2001 and so information relates to the Department and its predecessors.
(2) Based on three-year averages and changes are rounded to the nearest percentage point or 100,000 pensioners between 1997-98 to 1999-2000 and 2005-06 to 2007-08.
(3) Regional information about assistance payments received by members from the Financial Assistance Scheme could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Second State Pension
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was spent on the second state pension in 2009-10; how much such expenditure was on entitlements accrued during (a) 2008-09, (b) 2007-08 and (c) 2006-07; and if she will make a statement. [301008]
Angela Eagle [holding answer 23 November 2009]: Public expenditure on state second pension/state earnings-related pension scheme in 2009-10 is expected to be £13,200 million.
The following table shows the planned expenditure on state second pension entitlements accrued during (a) 2008-09, (b) 2007-08 and (c) 2006-07.
| Financial year, cash terms | |
| Y ear second state pension entitlements accrued | Planned expenditure (£ million) in 2009-10 |
| Notes: 1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest £10 million. 2. Forecasts of second state pension/state earnings related pension scheme are based on the pre-Budget report 2009 forecasts. Published expenditure tables can found at the following link: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/medium_term.asp 3. Updated forecasts are scheduled to be published at Budget 2010. 4. Accrued entitlement after 2002 only relates to second state pension and does not include the state earnings related pension scheme. 5. The table shows that there are more cohorts in the later years that have accrued entitlement. Planned expenditure in 2009-10 of entitlements accrued in 2008-09 relates to men currently aged 65 and women aged 60. Planned expenditure in 2009-10 of entitlement accrued in 2007-08 relates to men currently aged 65, 66 and women aged 60, 61. Planned expenditure in 2009-10 of entitlement accrued in 2006-07 relates to men currently aged 65, 66, 67 and women aged 60, 61, 62. Source: Strategy Directorate modelling. | |
Slough
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if she will set out, with statistical information related as directly as possible to the Slough constituency, the effects on Slough of her Department's policies and actions since 2000. [311978]
Jonathan Shaw: As the biggest delivery department in the UK, DWP makes a difference to millions of people every day, helping them to lead safer, fairer and more rewarding lives that are free from poverty. The policies that we have introduced since 1997 have aimed to give people more choice and control over their lives. Through our welfare reform programme, we are committed to providing personalised support to everyone who needs it so they have the opportunity to get into and remain in work.
Through Jobcentre Plus, we are promoting work as the best form of welfare for people of working age. Since 1997, although the number of people unemployed in Slough has increased by 39 per cent. to 3,028, the number unemployed for more than one year has decreased by 54 per cent. to 270. From May 1997 to May 2009 the number of lone parents claiming income support in Slough has decreased by 21 per cent. to 1,740.
Our New Deal programmes have helped lone parents, the young unemployed, the long-term unemployed, disabled people, the over 50s and partners of unemployed people to move from benefit into work. Since their inception over 2.2 million people in Great Britain have found work with the support of the New Deal and 3,200 have been helped in Slough.
We introduced a target to halve child poverty by 2010-11 on the way to eradicating it by 2020. Poverty is measured using a headline indicator of the proportion of children in households with an income below 60 per cent. of contemporary household median income before housing costs. This is in line with international best practice.
Statistics on the number of children living in poverty are not available at the constituency level, but the latest information for the South East Government Office Region shows that the proportion of children in poverty rose from 14 per cent. to 15 per cent. since 2000.
Since 1997 our strategy has been to target extra help at the poorest pensioners while providing a solid foundation of support for all.
This year we will spend over £13 billion more on pensioners than if we had continued with the policies that were in place in 1997. Around half of that money will go to the poorest third of pensioners.
In 1997 the poorest pensioners, who received income support, lived on £69 a week (£98 in today's prices). Today pension credit, which was introduced in 2003, means no pensioner needs to live on less than £130 a week, £198.45 for couples. As of May 2009, 4,060 pensioners in Slough are receiving pension credit.
In 2007-08 there were 900,000 fewer pensioners living in relative poverty in the UK compared to 1998-99 (measured as below 60 per cent. of contemporary median household income after housing costs). Statistics on the number of pensioners living in relative poverty are not available at the constituency level, but the latest information for the South East Government Office Region shows that poverty has fallen from 23 per cent. to 16 per cent. since 2000.
Pensioners in the UK also benefit from a range of additional support such as the Winter Fuel Payment which this winter is worth £250 for households aged between 60-79 and £400 for households aged 80 or over. These payments provide vital reassurance to older people that they can afford to turn up their heating during cold weather. Prior to winter 1997-98 less than £60 million was spent helping pensioners meet their fuel bills-this year we will be spending around £2.7 billion on Winter Fuel Payments alone. In 2008-09 14,090 people aged 60 and over benefited from Winter Fuel Payments in Slough.
We have also taken steps to strengthen and protect the private pensions system to ensure people can continue to have confidence to save for their future through the establishment of the Pensions Protection Fund, the Financial Assistance Scheme and a more powerful and proactive pensions regulator.
The protection system ensures that, unlike in 1997, people are not left without a pension even in the event that their employer becomes insolvent.
In total 716 people in the South East Region are receiving compensation from the Pension Protection Fund (data not available at the constituency level).
We have also taken forward a radical package of pension reforms in the Pensions Acts of 2007 and 2008 which will deliver a fairer and more generous state pension and extend the opportunity of workplace pension saving to millions, many for the first time.
The state pension reforms begin to come into effect from 2010 and will mean around three quarters of women reaching state pension age in 2010 are expected to qualify for a full basic state pension compared to half without reform.
Support for disabled people and carers
Since 2001, we have significantly extended and improved civil rights for disabled people in areas such as employment, education, access to goods and services and transport. Disabled people in Slough will have benefited from these improvements. The Welfare Reform Act 2009 contains powers to increase choice and control for disabled adults, including disabled parents, enabling them to choose how certain state support is used to meet their individual needs. Older and less well-off carers are receiving extra help through the provisions within the National Carers Strategy.
Social Security Benefits: Debts
Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 25 January 2010, Official Report, column 578W, on social security benefits: debts, in respect of which Jobcentre Plus district is each of the 10 largest debts owed to the Department. [317169]
Helen Goodman: The Department treats all personal data as confidential. We take extremely seriously our duty to protect customer confidentiality. We believe the release of this information could lead to confidentiality being compromised; so breaching our duty of care to our customers.
Social Security Benefits: Fraud
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in England and Wales have been prosecuted for benefit fraud on (a) more than one occasion and (b) more than two occasions in each of the last three years. [314575]
Helen Goodman: Information on the number of people in England and Wales prosecuted for benefit fraud on more than one occasion and more than two occasions in each of the last three years is not available.
Information is available for convictions during 2006-07 in cases where benefit fraud has been committed on more than one or more than two occasions. The available information is in the table:
| Number | |
|
Number of people convicted where benefit fraud committed on: | |
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