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Pensioner income inequality

Author

Listed:
  • Paul Johnson

    (Institute for Fiscal Studies)

  • Gary Stears

Abstract

One-and-a-half million pensioners are dependent on the minimum means-tested benefit, income support. But the numbers on income support have barely changed in two decades despite substantial increases in its value and that of its precursor, supplementary benefit. At least another 2 million receive means-tested housing benefit or council tax benefit. At the same time, in 1992-93, 3 million pensioners paid over £5 billion in income tax, a small minority at the higher rate of income tax. Pensioners are poorer than the working population, and some are on very low incomes, but they are not uniformly poor.

Suggested Citation

  • Paul Johnson & Gary Stears, 1996. "Pensioner income inequality," Fiscal Studies, Institute for Fiscal Studies, vol. 16(4), pages 69-93, November.
  • Handle: RePEc:ifs:fistud:v:16:y:1996:i:4:p:69-93
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    File URL: http://www.ifs.org.uk/fs/articles/fsjohnson2.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Morris, Nick & Preston, Ian, 1986. "Inequality, Poverty and the Redistribution of Income," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(4), pages 275-344, November.
    2. Dilnot, Andrew & Disney, Richard & Johnson, Paul & Whitehouse, Edward, 1994. "Pensions policy in the UK: An economic analysis," MPRA Paper 10478, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Edward Whitehouse, 1990. "The abolition of the pensions 'earnings rule'," Fiscal Studies, Institute for Fiscal Studies, vol. 11(3), pages 55-70, August.
    4. McClements, L. D., 1977. "Equivalence scales for children," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 8(2), pages 191-210, October.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Timm Bönke & Carsten Schröder & Katharina Schulte, 2010. "Incomes and Inequality in the Long Run: The Case of German Elderly," German Economic Review, Verein für Socialpolitik, vol. 11(4), pages 487-510, November.

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