ONS admits major pension data blunder

The latest chapter of its publication ‘Pension Trends’ published in April said pensioner couples received on average £2,115 a year from private pensions. However, the real figure is more than four times larger, at between £9,000 and £10,000 a year. The ONS has now apologized and withdrawn the chapter. It says the estimates are being re-calculated and will be re-published once checks have been carried out. It said the basic data for its most recent ‘Pensions Trends’ update was taken from a Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) survey in 2005/06. This provided weekly amounts for pensione...