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State Retirement Pensions

Volume 508: debated on Monday 22 March 2010

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the effects would be on (a) public service and (b) other occupational pension schemes if the level of the basic and additional state pensions were both increased by 1.5 per cent. instead of 2.5 per cent. in April 2010; and how many pensioners would (i) gain and (ii) lose as a result. (319356)

Current social security legislation provides for public service pension to be adjusted by the same rate as the additional pension, and for such adjustments to take place only if there has been an increase in the prices over a given period.

The effect of increasing both the basic state pension and additional pension by 1.5 per cent., compared with increasing the basic state pension by 2.5 per cent., would be to reduce the average increase in state pension overall as a result of uprating in April 2010, from around £2 a week to around £1.50 a week.

More detailed data on pensioners' overall income split by detailed source are not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the take-up rate of basic state pension was (a) nationally, (b) in Essex and (c) in Southend in the latest period for which figures are available; and what it was in each year since 1997. (320646)

The information requested can be found in the following tables where available. The figures relate to the proportion of the population in receipt of basic state pension, who are estimated to be over state pension age and alive at the end of March 2009.

Pensioners in Great Britain in receipt of basic state pension

Number

Proportion over state pension age (percentage)

2009

11,100,000

94

2008

10,900,000

95

2007

10,800,000

96

2006

10,600,000

96

2005

10,500,000

96

2004

10,400,000

96

2003

10,300,000

96

2002

10,200,000

96

Pensioners in Southend in receipt of basic state pension

Number

Proportion over state pension age (percentage)

2008

33,400

97

2007

33,000

97

2006

33,200

96

2005

33,200

97

2004

33,200

97

2003

33,200

96

2002

33,800

96

Pensioners in Essex in receipt of basic state pension

Number

Proportion over state pension age (percentage)

2008

277,000

95

2007

270,000

96

2006

263,000

96

2005

260,000

96

2004

256,400

97

2003

251,800

96

2002

247,600

96

Notes: 1. The latest population and administrative data are from 2009. The latest population figures for Essex and Southend are from the ONS Mid-2008 Population Estimates. 2. The earliest available regional caseload data only go back to 2002. Figures for Essex relate to Essex local authority district and for Southend relate to Southend-on-Sea unitary authority. 3. GB estimates are rounded to the nearest 100,000 people, those for Essex and Southend to the nearest 100 people. 4. The remaining pensioners not in receipt of a basic state pension, but eligible, will be in the process of deferring their state pension. Following a period of state pension deferral a claimant can either: (i) take a lump sum that will have accrued at a rate of two percentage points above the Bank of England base rate or; (ii) receive extra state pension whereby an additional one per cent. is added to the value of the state pension for every five weeks of deferral.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) men and (b) women in (i) Glenrothes, (ii) Scotland and (iii) the UK qualify for the full basic state pension. (322404)

The available information is in the following table.

Total

Male

Female

Glenrothes parliamentary constituency

11,200

6,000

5,100

Scotland

633,400

316,800

316,600

GB

6,952,000

3,661,200

3,290,700

Notes:

1. Figures are for claimants with a full basic state pension as at March 2009.

2. Figures are subject to a high degree of sampling error and should only be used as a guide.

3. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 100. Totals may not sum due to rounding.

Source:

Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate, 5 per cent. sample