To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answer of 25 March, Official Report, column 167W, on pension supplement, what plans he has to consolidate the 25p per week pension supplement for those aged 80 or over with another benefit targeted at that group. [106200]
The 25 pence age addition for pensioners aged 80 and over is paid with the State Pension. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced on 9 April that we will be paying a £100 annual lump sum payment to every household where a pensioner reaches the age of 80 (or is over the age of 80) in addition to the 25p, payable as at present.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the 25p per week pension supplement for those aged 80 or over would be worth on 1 April 2003 had its value kept pace with inflation since it was introduced in 1971. [106253]
Information based on indexing the age addition to the Retail Prices Index is shown in the table:
| £ per week | |||
| Rate of age addition in 1971 | Actual amount of age addition in April 2003 | Amount of age addition in April 2003 if indexed to Retail Prices Index | |
| Rates | 0.25 | 0.25 | 1.95 |
Notes:
1. Retail Prices Index as published by the Office of National Statistics.
2. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 5 pence at each uprating.
Source:
Information Centre, Information and Analysis Directorate