Income & Savings

• In 2008/ 9, the full basic state pension is £90.70 for single pensioners and £145.05 for pensioner couples.
• 331,000 people aged 50 or over are unemployed.
• The UK spends about 5 per cent of its gross domestic product on pension benefits, less than most other European countries.
• 58 per cent of households with one or more adults over pension age receive the majority of their income (50 per cent or more) from state support.
• 1.3 million pensioners in the UK have no source of income other than the state pension and benefits.

• 29 per cent of pensioner couples have less than £1,500 in savings. For single male pensioners, the figure is 42 per cent and for single female pensioners, it is 48 per cent.
• Eight per cent of people aged 85 and over have no bank account. Three per cent of pensioner couples have no account, Four per cent of single male pensioners and six per cent of single female pensioners.
• Nearly a quarter (23 per cent) of single female pensioners have no savings at all. For single male pensioners, it is 20 per cent and for pensioner couples, it is 14 per cent..
• 56 per cent of employees are covered by a non-state pension scheme.