Written question asked by Steve Webb (Liberal Democrat) on Tuesday, 3 April 2001, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 10 April 2001. It was answered by Lord Rooker (Labour) on Tuesday, 10 April 2001 on behalf of the Department of Social Security.

Dept of Social Security

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to the oral statement of 2nd April 2001 366 c11, by the honourable Member for Birmingham, Perry Barr on the take up of the minimum income guarantee, for what reason he described the figure extrapolated by his Department from its survey of take-up as a hocus-pocus figure. - Including figures. (Holding answer 6 April 2001).

Answer: Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to the oral statement of 2 April 2001, Official Report, column 11, by the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Perry Barr (Mr. Rooker), on the take up of the Minimum Income Guarantee, for what reason he described the figure extrapolated by his Department from its survey of take-up as a hocus-pocus figure. [157148] Mr. Rooker: [holding answer 6 April 2001]: In my answer to the hon. Member for Havant (Mr. Willetts) I described the figure as legitimate. However, as the survey states: "care should be taken in interpreting the take-up statistics". The figure is only a projection of potential pensioners not taking-up their entitlement to the Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG). We have taken note of the survey, and gone one step further--we have contacted over 2 million real, identifiable, pensioners in writing as part of this Government's national MIG take-up campaign and so far 930,000 have responded. We have identified from the responses two main reasons for unsuccessful claims--too much income and/or too much capital. More pensioners will become entitled to MIG with this April's increases in the capital limits and with the introduction of Pension Credit we will abolish the capital limits and for the first time reward those with savings income.

Secondary information