To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the combined deduction of taxation and pensions credit for an extra £1 of income to a pensioner paying tax and receiving pensions credit. [90660]

The combined deduction of taxation and pension credit for an extra £1 of income will depend on the individual characteristics of the person, such as age, family status, eligibility for additional amounts and income level.The table shows an example of the deductions for a single person receiving pension credit and paying income tax, according to their gross income and age, assuming no additional amounts in payment.Deduction of tax and pension credit for a single person paying tax and receiving Pension Credit [with no additional amounts].Post offices in

The number of pensioners as at 28 December 2002 in the constituency of Haltemprice and Howden and the East Riding of Yorkshire receiving their benefits by a method of payment collectable at a post office is shown in the table. Included in these figures are customers paid by giro cheque. Giro cheques are encashable either at a post office, or they can be paid into a bank or building society account.

	Number of pensioners
Haltemprice and Howden	9,107
East Riding of Yorkshire	37,916

Some customers who are paid direct into an account can also collect their benefit in cash at post offices through network banking arrangements at the Post Office. There is no data available on the number of benefit claims collected in this way.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners have migrated from over-the-counter benefit payments to direct bank transfer in (a) Haltemprice and Howden and (b) the East Riding of Yorkshire. [96708]

The number of pensioners receiving DWP benefits (including War Pensions) who have migrated from payments collectable at the post office to payments direct into a bank or building society account is 43 in Haltemprice and Howden, and 159 in the East Riding of Yorkshire. The figures are as at 28 December 2002 compared with the same records from four weeks earlier.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his estimate is of the cost of the minimum income guarantee and pension credit for each year from 1997–98 to 2004–05 (planned). [97365]

The information is shown in the table below:

	Cash terms£million	Real Terms (02/03 prices) £million
1997/98 out turn	3,773	4,249
1998/99 out turn	3,619	3,967
1999/00 out turn	3,781	4,046
2000/01 out turn	4,095	4,288
2001/02 estimated out turn1	4,486	4,598
2002/03 plans	4,470	4,470
2003/04 plans2	5,287	5,171
2004/05 plans	6,231	5,945
Notes:
All estimates are consistent with the PBR2002 forecasts
1Expenditure for 2001/02 reflects the latest estimate of out turn for the year and not the amounts voted by Parliament.
2Pension Credit is introduced in October 2003.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of pensioners collected benefits from post offices in the parliamentary constituency of Bury St. Edmunds. [97390]

The percentage of pensioners receiving DWP benefits (including war pensions) collectable at post offices in the Bury St. Edmunds constituency was 48 per cent. of all pensioners as at 28 December 2002. This figure includes benefits paid by giro cheque which can also be paid into a bank or building society account.