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167W
Written Answers
26 OCTOBER 2009
Written Answers
168W
Latest information for the north-east Government
office region, is based on three year averages and is
provided in Table 1 as follows:
Table 1. Number and percentage of pensioners falling below 60 per cent. of
1998-99 median household income (uprated in line with prices), after housing
costs, in the north-east Government office region, since 1997 1
Number
Percentage
1995-98 200,000 37
1996-99 200,000 33
1997-2000 100,000 30
1998-01 100,000 26
1999-02 100,000 20
2000-03 100,000 14
2001-04 0 10
2002-05 0 8
2003-06 0 7
2004-07 0 6
2005-08 0 7
1
Information is in three year averages.
Note:
FES figures are for the United Kingdom, FRS figures are for Great Britain up
to 1997-98, and for the United Kingdom from 1998-99, with estimates for
Northern Ireland imputed for the years 1998-99 through 2001-02. The reference
period for FRS figures is single financial years.
Latest information for the UK is provided in Table 2
as follows:
Table 2. Number and percentage of pensioners falling below 60 per cent. of
1998-99 median household income (uprated in line with prices), after housing
costs, in the UK since 1997
Number
Percentage
1997-98 3,000,000 31
1998-99 2,900,000 29
1999-2000 2,500,000 25
2000-01 2,000,000 20
2001-02 1,500,000 14
2002-03 1,200,000 12
2003-04 1,100,000 10
2004-05 900,000 8
2005-06 800,000 8
2006-07 1,100,000 10
2007-08 1,000,000 9
Notes:
1. FES figures are for the United Kingdom, FRS figures are for Great Britain
up to 1997-98, and for the United Kingdom from 1998-99, with estimates for
Northern Ireland imputed for the years 1998-99 through 2001-02. The reference
period for FRS figures is single financial years.
2. Small changes in estimates from year to year, particularly at the bottom of
the income distribution, may not be significant in view of data uncertainties.
3. Due to rounding, the estimates of change in percentages of pensioners below
low-income thresholds may not equal the difference between the total percentage
of pensioners below thresholds for any pair of years shown.
John Mason: To ask the Secretary of State for Work
and Pensions what steps the Government have taken in
response to the recommendations in the Work and
Pensions Select Committee report on Tackling
Pensioner Poverty published in July 2009. [295440]
Angela Eagle: The Government have provided a response
to the Work and Pensions Select Committee report on
Tackling Pensioner Poverty. This was published by the
Committee on 19 October 2009 and is available on the
UK Parliament website at:
http://www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_committees/
work_and_pensions_committee/wappnl 9102009_.cfm
This Government have made significant progress in
tackling pensioner poverty and this remains one of the
Government’s key priorities.
Pensions: Females
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work
and Pensions if she will estimate the percentage of
women retiring in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2012-13 and (c)
2014-15 who will be entitled to a full basic state
pension; and if she will estimate for those who will not
receive a full pension what their average percentage
contribution record will have been in each such year;
and if she will make a statement. [295458]
Angela Eagle: The 2007 Pension Act reforms to basic
state pension will mean that over 90 per cent. of women
reaching state pension age from 2025 will qualify for a
full basic state pension. In 2010-11 this proportion will
rise to around 75 per cent. from around 45 per cent.
today. Thereafter we expect the proportion to rise more
gradually.
Where available the information requested is given in
the following table. An estimate of the average percentage
contribution record for women not entitled to a full basic
state pension reaching state pension age in the years
requested is not available; information relating to the
expected level of entitlement has been provided instead.
Proportion of women reaching state pension age in the given year by their
estimated level of entitlement to basic state pension
Percentage
Level of basic state pension
entitlement 2010-11 2012-13 2014-15
100 Around 75 Around 80 Around 85
61 to 99 Around 15 Around 10 Under 10
60 and less Around 10 Under 10 Under 10
Notes:
1. This table shows the proportion of people reaching SPA entitled to BSP at
SPA, i.e. around 75 per cent. of females reaching SPA in 2010 are projected to
be entitled to full BSP.
2. Women’s entitlement is based on their own contributions and on their
husband’s contributions where the inheritance and substitution provisions
apply for widows and divorced women.
3. Includes deferrers. Figures refer to percentage entitlement not to percentage
of those in receipt of full BSP. Some people may be entitled but not be in receipt
of a pension because they have chosen to defer their entitlement.
4. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 5 per cent.
Source:
Projections from DWP Forecasting Division using the Government Actuary’s
Department’s Retirement Pension Model; Great Britain only.
Poverty: Children
Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work
and Pensions what steps the Government is taking to
address levels of child poverty. [294931]
Helen Goodman: Changes to tax, benefits and back
to work help in the last decade have lifted 500,000
children out of relative poverty and halved absolute
child poverty. Had we simply adjusted 1997 measures in
line with prices around 2.1 million more children might
live in poverty today. Measures in and since Budget
2007 are expected to lift around a further 500,000
children out of poverty by 2010. Our Child Poverty Bill,
now in Parliament, will commit Government to its
eradication by 2020.
Social Security Benefits
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Work
and Pensions how many adults under the age of
30 years are receiving benefits from her Department.
[292012]