Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on the State Pension on 25th February 1986.
Mr. Kirkwood Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has any plans to uprate the state basic pension to bring it more into line with the increase in earnings.
Mr. Major I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend’s statement to the House yesterday at columns 680-
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Pensions on 18th February 1986.
Mr. Wigley Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a table showing the weekly rate of retirement pension on 1 December of each year since 1956, in actual and in real terms at current prices; and what proportion the figures represented each year of average industrial wages for adult men.
Mr. Major The available figures are contained in table 5.1 of the “Abstract of Statistics for Index of Retail Prices, Average Earnings, Social Security Benefits and Contributions”, a copy of which may be found in the Library. The dates for which comparisons are shown are those on which retirement pensions were uprated, which is the most meaningful basis for real value comparisons.
Mr. Wigley Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the annual cost if the state retirement pension for single persons were increased from the present level to £56 per week, and for married couples from the present level to £84 per week.
Mr. Major The estimated annual additional cost of this proposal to public expenditure is £6,250 million in a full year, allowing for savings on supplementary benefit and housing benefit.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Pensions on 13th February 1986.
Mr. Meacher Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be (i) the gross and (ii) the net cost of paying to retirement pensioners currently in receipt of basic or supplementary pension an additional weekly pension of (a) £5, (b) £10 or (c) £15, less the sum of any additional pension, earnings or investment income accruing; and how many pensioners would no longer be entitled to supplementary pension as a result.
Mr. Major I regret that the information requested is not available. Details are not held centrally about pensioners’ earnings below the appropriate earnings limit, or about their investment income.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Occupational Pensions on 12th February 1986.
Mr. Powley Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he has taken to inform members of occupational pension schemes of their new rights under the Social Security Act 1985.
Mr. Major Advertisements advising employees who are changing jobs that they now have the right to transfer their accrued pension benefits to a new employer’s scheme, or to use them to buy an insurance policy or annuity to provide themselves with a pension, were placed in the national press from 12 January. An information sheet providing employees with further information which is available from my Department has attracted considerable interest and we have so far issued some 12,000 copies. I am placing a copy of this information sheet in the Library.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on War Pensions on 11th February 1986.
Mr. Pawsey Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, if, pursuant to the answer of 3 February regarding disregard on war pensions, he will list those branches of the Royal British Legion which can readily be identified as having made representations on the subject; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Major [pursuant to his reply, 6 February 1986, c. 218]: Representations from the following Royal British Legion branches have been identified:
Royal British Legion Scotland –
Royal British Legion –
Royal British Legion –
Regular representations have also been received from the National Headquarters of the Royal British Legion and the Royal British Legion Scotland following resolutions taken at their annual conferences.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on War Pensions on 6th February 1986.
Mr. Pawsey Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, pursuant to the answer of 3 February, regarding disregard on war pensions, he will list those branches of the Royal British Legion which can readily be identified as having made representations on the subject; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Major I shall let my hon. Friend have a reply as soon as possible.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Pensions and Benefits (Payment) on 6th February 1986.
Mr. Crowther Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services in what areas recipients of pensions and other benefits have been offered financial inducements to change from payment through the Post Office network to payment through banks; and under what powers such offers are authorised.
Mr. Major I understand that no such inducements have been offered.
The text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on War Pensions on 3rd February 1986.
Mr. Pawsey Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what representations he has received about the £4 disregard on war pensions;
(2) which Royal British Legion branches have made representations to him about the £4 disregard on war pensions.
Mr. Major Over the years a number of representations about the £4 disregard on war pensions have been made by ex-service organisations, war pensions committees and others. Several organisations mentioned the disregard in their comments on the Government’s Green Paper “Reform of Social Security”.
Our records do not readily enable us to identify those branches of the Royal British Legion that have at some time made representations.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on the Retirement Pension on 31st January 1986.
Mr. Coombs Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the cost of providing the basic retirement pension at a level one third of national average earnings in industry for a single person, and one half for a married couple.
Mr. Major The estimated additional cost of raising the basic retirement pension to one third of national male average earnings for a single person and one half for a married couple would be £10,250 million in a full year on current benefit rates.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Pensions on 30th January 1986.
Mr. Meacher Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the annual cost of making a weekly payment to all pensioners equal to half the difference between £10 and any additional component, guaranteed minimum pension, or graduated pension they may have.
Mr. Major The estimated additional annual cost of this proposal to public expenditure is £2,250 million.