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Dept for Work and Pensions

Answer

Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the (a) median and (b) mean pension income was in each year since 1997, broken down between (i) state benefits, (ii) occupational pension, (iii) personal pension, (iv) earnings and (v) other sources. [196418] Malcolm Wicks: The information requested is in the tables. Table A: Mean incomes of pensioner units from 1996-97 to 2002-03, broken down by source income £ per week _________________________________________________________________________________________________. 1996-97 1997-98 1998-99 1999-2000 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 All pensioner units Gross income 230 234 243 252 265 273 277 Benefit income 121 123 124 130 133 139 142 Occupational pension 59 61 63 65 70 72 74 Personal pension 3 4 4 5 7 7 8 Investment income 27 27 29 29 30 28 24 Earnings 18 18 20 21 23 25 25 Other income 1 1 2 2 3 3 3 Pensioner couples Gross income 334 340 349 357 379 392 388 Benefit income 148 149 149 156 159 165 170 Occupational pension 97 100 102 102 114 113 114 Personal pension 5 7 9 11 12 14 14 Investment income 45 47 47 47 48 46 39 Earnings 37 35 39 39 42 49 47 Other income 1 2 2 2 3 4 4 Single pensioners Gross income 165 167 176 183 192 194 203 Benefit income 104 106 109 114 115 121 124 Occupational pension 36 37 38 41 42 44 48 Personal pension 1 1 1 1 3 2 3 Investment income 16 15 18 17 19 16 15 Earnings 6 8 8 8 10 9 11 Other income 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Table B: Net median income of pensioner units after housing costs £ per week _________________________________________________________________________________________________. 1996-97 1997-98 1998-99 1999-2000 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 All pensioners 126 131 134 142 148 159 164 Pensioner couples 197 202 208 216 227 235 242 Single pensioners 88 91 95 103 109 117 122 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Table C: Median values of different sources of pensioner incomes for those in receipt £ per week _________________________________________________________________________________________________. 1996-97 1997-98 1998-99 1999-2000 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 Occupational pension All pensioners 56 60 60 63 66 71 74 Pensioner couples 79 86 88 94 101 106 107 Single pensioners 42 44 45 45 48 50 55 Personal pension All pensioners 29 31 32 31 34 41 35 Pensioner couples 35 32 40 41 38 44 37 Single pensioners 23 27 21 19 29 34 26 Investment income All pensioners 6 5 6 5 5 5 4 Pensioner couples 11 10 11 10 10 9 8 Single pensioners 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 Earnings All pensioners 130 125 158 146 155 137 156 Pensioner couples 157 142 173 164 180 148 174 Single pensioners 90 97 141 104 127 120 128 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Notes: 1. Incomes are presented as pounds per week. Figures for incomes are given in 2002-03 prices and rounded to the nearest pound. Totals may not equal their components due to rounding. 2. The Pensioners' Incomes Series analysis is for pensioner units, which are either: single pensioners (ie people over state pension age) or pensioner couples (i.e. married or cohabiting pensioners where the man is over state pension age.) Source: Tables A, B and C: The Pensioners' Incomes Series 2002-03 which is based on data from the Family Resources Survey.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

196418; 426 c912-4W;426 c916-8W

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Income Earned income Personal income Pensioners Workplace pensions Pensions Personal pensions Social security benefits

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk