Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Retirement Pensions – 9 June 1986

Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Retirement Pensions on 9th June 1986.

Ms. Richardson Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his answer of 15 May to the hon. Member for Barking, Official Report, columns 527-530, whether the retirement pension of those 5,733 people recorded as people in transit will be paid at current or frozen rates.

Mr. Major The 5,733 people shown as “Countries not recorded (people in transit)” were known to be moving from one country to another but their new countries of residence were not included in the Department’s computer records at the time when the count was taken. Whether their pensions will be payable at current or frozen rates will depend upon the new country of residence.

Ms. Richardson Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Barking, 15 May, Official Report, columns 527-530, how 828 retirement pensioners whose address is not known can receive a retirement pension abroad; and into what categories they fall.

Mr. Major As these 828 pensioners have not provided their current addresses the appropriate rate of pension cannot be decided nor can payment be made. Information on the categories into which they fall is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Ms. Richardson Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Barking, 15 May, Official Report, columns 527-530, if he will set out the rules governing payment of benefit in those countries where some benefits are paid at current and others at partially unfrozen rates; and how many of the people listed as resident in each of those countries received their pension at current and at partially unfrozen rates.

Mr. Major Current rates of pension are payable in all the countries listed as those where benefits are paid at current or partially unfrozen rates, except in Bermuda, Jamaica, and United States of America. In these three countries all increases since the respective agreements came into effect are payable, that is, from these dates:

Country | Date

Bermuda | 1 November 1969
Jamaica | 1 October 1972
United States of America | 28 September 1969

In consequence, the great majority of pensions in these three countries are paid at current rates, but the precise numbers of people receiving full rate pensions are not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Ms. Richardson Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Barking, 15 May, Official Report, columns 527–530, if he will separate the figure for the average pension paid in countries where no increases are paid into the average paid to single people, to married men and to married women, respectively.

Mr. Major The information requested is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Ms. Richardson Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Barking, 15 May, Official Report, columns 527–530, whether the numbers of beneficiaries listed include dependants; and if he will list separately the number of dependants.

Mr. Major The numbers of beneficiaries listed do not include dependants. The number of these would be small, but precise figures are not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.