To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the percentage of the population who have (a) no savings, (b) savings below £1,000 and (c) savings below £5,000. [115115]
Information on individual accounts and savings outside of the range £1,500 to £20,000 is not available.The Family Resources Survey can provide estimates for Great Britain of savings held within benefit units. This information is presented in the table.
| Percentage of benefit units | |
| Limit (£) | Benefit units with savings below certain limits (percentages) |
| No savings | 34. |
| Below 1,500 | 57 |
| Below 5,000 | 71 |
Notes:
1. All figures are estimates and are taken from the Family Resources Survey (FRS). 2001–02 is the latest year for which data is available.
2. Questions on assets are a sensitive part of the FRS questionnaire and have relatively low level of response. Evidence suggests some under reporting of capital by respondents.
3. A benefit unit is a single adult or couple living as married and any dependent children.
Source:
2001–02 Family Resources Survey, Great Britain.