An article said that minimum income requirements for healthy living for people aged 65 years plus (without significant disability, living independently) in England were 50 per cent greater than the basic state pension. They were also appreciably greater than the official minimum income safety floor (after means-testing) – the pension credit guarantee – that would also have to meet any extra costs of disability.
Source: Jerry Morris, Paul Wilkinson, Alan Dangour, Christopher Deeming and Astrid Fletcher, 'Defining a minimum income for healthy living (MIHL): older age, England', International Journal of Epidemiology, Volume 36 Number 6
Links: Abstract
Date: 2007-Dec
A paper examined one option for increasing pension saving – the introduction of a 'pension income disregard', allowing individuals to have a limited amount of private pension income without it affecting their entitlement to means-tested benefits in retirement. A pension income disregard set at £12 per week could increase government expenditure on means-tested benefits for pensioners by around £600 million in 2012, from a projected £14.6 billion without reform to £15.2 billion with the pension income disregard, an increase of 4 per cent.
Source: Adam Steventon, Carlos Sanchez and Chris Curry, Increasing the Value of Saving in Personal Accounts: Rewarding modest amounts of pension saving, Pensions Policy Institute (020 7848 3744)
Links: Paper
Date: 2007-Nov
In the winter period (December to March) of 2006-07 there were 23,900 more deaths in England and Wales than the average for the non-winter months, according to provisional estimates. This was a fall of 5 per cent compared with the winter of 2005-06.
Source: Press release 28 November 2007, Office for National Statistics (0845 601 3034)
Links: ONS press release | Age Concern press release
Date: 2007-Nov
The government published the 2008-09 rates and allowances for income tax, national insurance contributions, working and child tax credits, child benefit/guardian's allowance, and state pension and pension credit. Rates and allowances were increased in line with inflation.
Source: Press release 18 October 2007, Department for Work and Pensions (020 7712 2171)
Links: DWP press release | Liberal Democrats press release | BBC report
Date: 2007-Oct
An article examined the wider impact on elderly people provided with specialist welfare benefits advice, in terms of their health and quality of life. Significant increases in benefit income were identified in 65 per cent of respondents with complete financial data sets: but there were methodological issues around establishing cause and effect, which could not be readily designed out on account of ethical issues.
Source: John Campbell, Rachel Winder, Suzanne Richards and Jeremy Hobart, 'Exploring the relationships between provision of welfare benefits advice and the health of elderly people: a longitudinal observational study and discussion of methodological issues', Health and Social Care in the Community, Volume 15 Issue 5
Links: Abstract
Date: 2007-Sep
An article examined income levels and dynamics among older people living in non-rural, accessible rural, and remote rural areas. There were clear geographical variations: average household incomes of the over-65s in remote rural areas were less than those of their non-rural and accessible rural counterparts, and older people living in remote rural areas were the most likely to experience persistent low income.
Source: Lorna Philip and Alana Gilbert, 'Low income amongst the older population in Great Britain: a rural/non-rural perspective on income levels and dynamics', Regional Studies, Volume 41 Number 6
Links: Abstract
Date: 2007-Aug
A paper compared the key assumptions underpinning estimates of the pension wealth of English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) respondents to outcomes over the period from 2002-03 to 2004-05.
Source: James Banks, Carl Emmerson and Gemma Tetlow, Better Prepared for Retirement? Using panel data to improve wealth estimates of ELSA respondents, Working Paper W12/07, Institute for Fiscal Studies (020 7291 4800)
Date: 2007-Aug
A paper examined methodological differences and similarities in the measurement of wealth in the English Longitudinal Survey of Ageing and the British Household Panel Survey. There were conceptual difference in the measurement of financial assets and debt: but the distribution of total net worth across demographic groups was similar in the two surveys.
Source: Zoe Oldfield and Eva Sierminska, Differences in the Measurement and Structure of Wealth Using Alternative Data Sources: The case of the UK, Working Paper W11/07, Institute for Fiscal Studies (020 7291 4800)
Date: 2007-Aug
A report said that half a million pensioners could instantly be saved from the poverty if the government ensured full take-up of means-tested benefits – council tax benefit, housing benefit, and pension credit. The report was based on a linked study which examined the prospects for pensioner poverty up to 2017-18 under a variety of alternative tax and benefit policies.
Source: Meeting the Challenge – Defeating Pensioner Poverty, Help the Aged (020 7278 1114) | Mike Brewer et al., Pensioner Poverty Over the Next Decade: What role for tax and benefit reform?, Commentary 103, Institute for Fiscal Studies (020 7291 4800)
Links: Report | IFS study | Help the Aged press release | Age Concern press release | IFS press release | Guardian report | Community Care report | Telegraph report
Date: 2007-Jul
The Concessionary Bus Travel Bill was given a third reading. The Bill was designed to provide free off-peak local bus travel for pensioners and disabled people.
Source: Concessionary Bus Travel Bill [HL], Department for Transport, TSO (0870 600 5522) | House of Commons Hansard, Debate 28 June 2007, columns 510-564, TSO
Links: Text of Bill | Explanatory notes | Hansard
Date: 2007-Jul
Researchers examined the operation of the Partnership Fund. They highlighted the beneficial ways in which funded projects had helped older people to overcome barriers to accessing benefits and services.
Source: Rosalind Tennant, Stephen Webster, Meg Callanan, Joanne Maher and William O?Connor, Helping Older People Engage with Benefits and Services: An evaluation of the Partnership Fund, Research Report 441, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040)
Date: 2007-Jun
An annual report highlighted the issues faced by vulnerable older people. Nearly three-quarters of adults agreed that age discrimination existed in the everyday lives of older people. Nearly half of pensioners failed to claim council tax benefit. 1 in 5 older people were living in poverty.
Source: Louise Bell (ed.), Spotlight Report 2007: Spotlight on older people in the UK, Help the Aged (020 7278 1114)
Links: Report | Help the Aged press release | Guardian report | Community Care report
Date: 2007-Jun
A report examined the tax problems of becoming a pensioner, suffering bereavement, or going into care. It highlighted many key areas where HM Revenue and Customs made mistakes in tax assessments and failed to give adequate support.
Source: Older People on Low Incomes: The case for tax reform, Low Incomes Tax Reform Group/Chartered Institute of Taxation (020 7245 4122)
Links: Report | LITRG press release
Date: 2007-May
The Concessionary Bus Travel Bill was given a second reading. The Bill was designed to provide free off-peak local bus travel for pensioners and disabled people.
Source: Concessionary Bus Travel Bill [HL], Department for Transport, TSO (0870 600 5522) | House of Commons Hansard, Debate 14 May 2007, columns 401-446, TSO
Links: Text of Bill | Explanatory notes | Hansard
Date: 2007-May
A study examined how older people used and valued available resources, and how they had planned for retirement and were planning for future later life. Respondents generally saw health and social networks as more important than economic resources. People often relied on family support during periods of poor health or other difficulties: but the 'exchange' of financial, practical, and emotional support between generations was also important. (A linked quantitative report was also published.)
Source: Katherine Hill, Karen Kellard, Sue Middleton, Lynne Cox and Elspeth Pound, Understanding Resources in Later Life: Views and experiences of older people, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033) | Sue Middleton et al., Measuring Resources in Later Life: A review of the data, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd
Links: Report | JRF Findings | Quantitative report
Date: 2007-Apr
A paper examined how spouses in older couples reacted to 'shocks' or 'surprises' in their partner?s labour income, using data from the British Household Panel Survey 1991?2004. Wives? labour supply proved to be much more sensitive to shocks than husbands?.
Source: David Haardt, Older Couples? Labour Market Reactions to Family Disruptions, Working Paper 2007-08, Institute for Social and Economic Research/University of Essex (01206 873087)
Links: Working paper
Date: 2007-Apr
Estimates were published of the levels, sources, and distribution of pensioners' incomes. Between 1996-97 and 2005-06, average net income before housing costs increased by 27 per cent - almost certainly at a faster rate than average earnings.
Source: The Pensioners' Incomes Series 2005/6, Department for Work and Pensions (020 7962 8176)
Links: Report | DWP press release
Date: 2007-Mar
The take-up of pension credit in Great Britain was in the range 60-69 per cent (by caseload) in 2005-06, compared to 61-69 per cent the previous year.
Source: Pension Credit: Estimates of Take-up in 2005-06, Department for Work and Pensions (020 7962 8176)
Links: Report | DWP press release
Date: 2007-Mar
