To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 2 December, Official Report, column 51, if he will republish the figures of pensioner incomes, distinguishing for married couples between the incomes of husbands and wives.
The figures required on gross incomes net of retirement pensions and supplementary benefit/income support for husbands over state pension age, their wives and single people over state pension age are in the table.
| Thousands | |||
| Husbands | Wives | Singles | |
| Up to £5 | 220 | 1,250 | 650 |
| £5—£10 | 180 | 230 | 350 |
| £10—£15 | 220 | 180 | 370 |
| £15—£20 | 190 | 130 | 430 |
| £20—£30 | 330 | 170 | 950 |
| £30—£40 | 230 | 110 | 400 |
| £40—£50 | 150 | 110 | 230 |
| £50—£60 | 70 | 50 | 150 |
| £60—£70 | 100 | 40 | 120 |
| £70—£80 | 90 | 10 | 130 |
| £80—£90 | 60 | 40 | 110 |
| £90—£100 | 60 | 10 | 70 |
| £100—£110 | 70 | 30 | 60 |
| £110—£130 | 100 | 30 | 120 |
| £130—£150 | 80 | 10 | 60 |
| £150—£200 | 130 | 50 | 100 |
| £200 and over | 220 | 50 | 130 |
Note: All housing benefit paid to couples has been allocated to the husband.
Source: Family Expenditure Survey 1988.
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish figures showing the value of the state basic pension for a single person—category A—and a married couple—category A plus category B—as percentages of (a) gross average earnings and (b) average earnings net of income tax and national insurance contribution in 1968, 1978 and each year thereafter.
The information requested is in the tables.
Weekly Retirement Pension (RP)
| Gross Average Weekly Earnings (GAWE)
| Net Average Weekly Earnings (NAWE)
| RP as percentage of GAWE
| RP as percentage of NAWE
| |
| November 1983 | 34·05 | 147·70 | 100·40 | 23·1 | 33·9 |
| November 1984 | 35·80 | 159·60 | 108·90 | 22·4 | 32·9 |
| November 1985 | 38·30 | 168·70 | 115·60 | 22·7 | 33·1 |
| July 1986 | 38·70 | 176·70 | 122·60 | 21·9 | 31·6 |
| April 1987 | 39·50 | 185·50 | 131·30 | 21·3 | 30·1 |
| April 1988 | 41·15 | 200·60 | 144·90 | 20·5 | 28·4 |
| April 1989 | 43·60 | 217·80 | 157·20 | 20·0 | 27·7 |
| April 1990 | 46·90 | 237·20 | 174·20 | 19·8 | 26·9 |
| April 1991 | 52·00 | 253·10 | 186·50 | 20·5 | 27·9 |
Notes: Gross Average Weekly Earnings (GAWE) and Net Average Weekly Earnings (NAWE) are for male manual workers. All dates are uprating dates except 1968 when there was no uprating.
Table 2—Married couple
| |||||
Weekly retirement pension (RP) £
| Gross average weekly earnings (GAWE) £
| Net average weekly earnings (NAWE) £
| RP as percentage GAWE
| RP as percentage NAWE
| |
| November 1968 | 7·30 | 23·25q | 18·05 | 31·4 | 40·4 |
| November 1978 | 31·20 | 87·40 | 63·80 | 35·7 | 48·9 |
| November 1979 | 37·30 | 103·60 | 77·00 | 36·0 | 48·4 |
| November 1980 | 43·45 | 118·60 | 87·40 | 36·6 | 49·7 |
| November 1981 | 47·35 | 129·50 | 93·00 | 36·6 | 50·9 |
| November 1982 | 52·55 | 138·40 | 98·90 | 38·0 | 53·1 |
| November 1983 | 54·50 | 147·70 | 106·20 | 36·9 | 51·3 |
| November 1984 | 57·30 | 159·60 | 115·50 | 35·9 | 49·6 |
| November 1985 | 61·30 | 168·70 | 122·80 | 36·3 | 49·9 |
| July 1986 | 61·95 | 176·70 | 129·90 | 35·1 | 47·7 |
| April 1987 | 63·25 | 185·50 | 138·40 | 34·1 | 45·7 |
| April 1988 | 65·90 | 200·60 | 152·10 | 32·9 | 43·3 |
| April 1989 | 69·80 | 217·80 | 164·80 | 32·0 | 42·4 |
| April 1990 | 75·10 | 237·20 | 182·50 | 31·7 | 41·2 |
| April 1991 | 83·25 | 253·10 | 194·80 | 32·9 | 42·7 |
Notes:
Gross average weekly earnings (GAWE) and net average weekly earnings (NAWE) are for male manual workers. All dates are uprating dates except 1968 when there was no uprating.