Work and Pensions written question – answered at on 21 July 2005.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of how many people in employment in the UK have no pension provision.
We estimate that the number of people in employment (including the self-employed) in the UK currently not accruing a basic state pension is 1.08 million (full-time employment 370,000, part-time employment 710,000).
We estimate that the number of people in employment (including the self-employed) in the UK currently not contributing to a private pension scheme (occupational, personal or stakeholder) is 11.2 million (full-time employment 7.9 million, part-time employment 3.3 million)
We estimate that the number of people in employment (including the self-employed) in the UK currently not accruing a basic state pension and currently not contributing to a private pension scheme (occupational, personal or stakeholder) is 900,000 (full-time employment 270,000, part-time employment 640,000).
Notes:
1. All figures are estimates and are taken from the Family Resources Survey (FRS). 2003–04 is the latest year for which data is available. Figures are rounded up to the nearest 10,000.
2. Our estimates from the data are of the numbers who are not accruing a pension at a given point in time. Some of those will be people who have made provision previously, and many will build up pensions subsequently.
3. With regards to the basic state pension, the data shows whether individuals would gain state pension entitlement if they remained in the same position all year. In practice some shown as not accruing will go on to gain a year's entitlement, and others who appear to be accruing will not.
4. All full-time employees should be earning enough to accrue a basic state pension. However some self employed may work full-time but not reach the lower profits level, and some employees may report they work full-time for less than the national minimum wage. Of the 370,000 people in full-time employment currently not accruing a state pension, 250,000 are self employed.
5. Private pension refers to either an occupational pension or personal pension or stakeholder pension.
Source:
Family Resources Survey 2003–04.
Yes1 person thinks so
No0 people think not
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