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Irish Republican Army
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his reply of 11 December 1990, Official Report , column 365 , whether there is any relationship between the official Irish Republican Army and any political party in Northern Ireland.
Dr. Mawhinney : I am not able either to confirm or deny any such relationship.
Disabled People
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is his estimate of the cost of implementation of sections 1, 2 and 3 of the Disabled Persons (Northern Ireland) Act 1989 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Hanley : The cost of implementing sections 1, 2 and 3 of the Disabled Persons (Northern Ireland) Act 1989 has not yet been estimated.
Government support was given to the introduction of the Disabled Persons (Northern Ireland) Act on the basis that it would be brought into effect in stages as resources permitted. Sections 9, 10, part of 11 and 12 came into operation on 7 December 1989.
On 1 April 1991, sections 5 and 6 of the Act, and parts of sections 4, 8 and 11, were brought into force. These provisions require health and social services boards to assess the needs of disabled people for certain social welfare services, and the ability of their carers to provide appropriate care. Boards are also required, in association with education and library boards, to ensure that young disabled people have a smooth transition from full-time
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education to adult life. Substantial resources have been made available to boards to enable them to implement these provisions. With the implementation of these sections of the 1989 Act, Northern Ireland is now fully in line with Great Britain as far as the implementation of the Disabled Persons (Services, Representation and Consultation) Act 1986 is concerned. The intention is to maintain this position of parity.Of the provisions of the 1989 Act still to be brought into effect, sections 1 and 2 provide for the appointment of an authorised representative either by the disabled person concerned or by the relevant health and social services board. Section 3 requires the relevant board to give a disabled person or his authorised representative the right to make representations about his need for services, to provide on request a written statement on the assessed need for services and to respond to representations about any such statement.
The implementation of these sections has been overtaken by wider developments in the community care field. The policy paper "People First" which was published last year, sets out the way forward for community care in Northern Ireland in the 1990s. Its wide-ranging proposals reflect and indeed amplify the spirit of sections 1, 2 and 3 of the 1989 Act.
For example, from 1 April 1991 health and social services boards have been required to put in place new complaints procedures which will ensure the formal investigation of all complaints or representations about community care services made by individuals or by anyone on their behalf. From 1 April 1993, comprehensive assessment arrangements will be introduced covering the community care needs of all people who are vulnerable through aging, chronic mental illness, mental handicap or physical disability. A written statement of the result of assessments and the services to be provided under agreed care plans will be provided on request. The Department of Health and Social Services is currently assessing the resources needed to bring these developments fully into effect, and will ensure that boards prepare for their introduction over the intervening two years.
In the light of these initiatives the implementation of sections 1, 2 and 3 would be largely unnecessary, as their impact in the main will be achieved through the wider community care reforms. To press ahead with them now would be to run the risk of imposing upon boards complex administrative arrangements which they would have to fund at the expense of services. As in Great Britain, it has therefore been decided not to implement these sections, but the situation will be carefully reviewed when the impact of the wider community care reforms can be assessed.
Value Added Tax
Mr. McNamara : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how he intends to allocate the additional revenue in Northern Ireland from value added tax consequent upon the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Budget statement.
Dr. Mawhinney : As indicated by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his Budget statement, this change arises from a substantial switch from local to
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central taxation in the United Kingdom as a whole and will result in reduced domestic rates bills in Northern Ireland.Mr. McNamara : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what measures he is taking to limit the impact of the rise in value added tax upon citizens in Northern Ireland.
Dr. Mawhinney : In view of the long-standing principle of parity in taxation throughout the United Kingdom, no such measures are necessary or appropriate.
Mr. McNamara : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what additional funds he is allocating to local government bodies and area boards following the increase in value added tax.
Dr. Mawhinney : VAT paid by local government bodies and area boards is recoverable and the increase will not therefore affect expenditure.
Mr. McNamara : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the reduction in rates by each council in Northern Ireland as a result of the increase in value added tax.
Dr. Mawhinney : The total domestic rate poundage in each district council area will be reduced by an additional 82p. The district rate element remains unchanged but the reduction in the total domestic rate poundage--the domestic regional rate plus the district rate--will be 36 per cent. on average.
11-plus
Mr. Mallon : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many students went through the 11-plus transfer procedure in 1990.
Dr. Mawhinney : A total of 25,783 pupils were in the age group to transfer from primary to secondary education in September 1990. A total of 18,126 sat the transfer procedure tests.
Mr. Mallon : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many students transferring from primary school to second level education in 1990, with an 11-plus examination grade of (i) one, (ii) two, (iii) three and (iv) other, did not get placed in the school of their (a) first choice and (b) first or second choice.
Dr. Mawhinney : The information is as follows :
Grades
|1 |2 |3 |Other
------------------------------------------------------------
i. pupils who did not obtain
a place in the school of
first choice |20 |693 |869 |596
ii. pupils who did not obtain
a place in the school of
first or second choice |2 |418 |320 |233
Mr. Mallon : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many students were subject to the appeal tribunal procedure of the 11-plus transfer system in 1990 ; and in how many cases were appeals (a) allowed and (b) disallowed.
Dr. Mawhinney : The appeal tribunals set up by the education and library boards considered 467 appeals ; 249 appeals were successful and 218 were not upheld.
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Customs Service
Mr. Mallon : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what consideration has been given to creating employment for employees of the Northern Ireland Customs Service who will be surplus to customs requirements after 1992.
Mr. Needham : The Industrial Development Board for Northern Ireland is leading an initiative aimed at attracting Government work from the south -east of England to Northern Ireland and is achieving success. The recent and very welcome decision by HM Customs and Excise to transfer 100 VAT administration jobs from London to Newry will go a long way to providing work for Customs and Excise staff who will become surplus to requirements in 1992. The IDB is continuing its efforts to attract more work from both the public and private sectors in Great Britain.
Roads
Mr. Mallon : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions he has had representations from the Government of the Irish Republic about the closure of border roads.
Dr. Mawhinney : The closure of border roads has been discussed regularly at Anglo-Irish Conferences, and through the Anglo-Irish secretariat.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Income Support
14. Sir Michael Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many low-income pensioners have gained from the extra increases in income support that took effect earlier this month.
Miss Widdecombe : Some 400,000 claimants have gained directly from the extra increase in the basic pensioner premium in income support ; well over 1.5 million have gained through housing benefit or community charge benefit. This means that since the beginning of October 1989 there has been a real increase in every one of the pensioner premiums applying to around 6 million people at a total cost of around £300 million.
Mr. Ronnie Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people are receiving income support in the areas covered by the Blyth Valley Department of Social Security office.
Miss Widdecombe : On 28 February 1991 there were 8,326 income support claims at the Department's office in Blyth.
Notes : Data derived from 100 per cent. count of cases in action, which include a number where payment has ceased but other action is continuing. Data are provisional and subject to amendment.
Mr. Ronnie Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioners claim income support in Blyth Valley ; and what this is as a percentage of all pensioners.
Miss Widdecombe : On 28 February 1991 there were 2,559 income support claims from pensioners at the
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Department's office in Blyth. Data are not available on the total pensioner population in Blyth on the date and for the precise geographical area to which the above information relates. Note : Data derived from 100 per cent. count of cases in action, which include a number where payment has ceased but other action is continuing. Data are provisional and subject to amendment.Mr. Dewar : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many adults in Scotland over the age of 18 years are dependent on income support for their livelihood at the latest date for which figures are available ;
(2) how many people are in receipt of income support in Scotland at the latest date for which figures are available.
Miss Widdecombe : In May 1989, the latest date for which information is available, some 565,000 people in Scotland over the age of 18 were wholly or in part dependent on income support. This total comprises 483,000 claimants, 81,000 partners, and fewer than 500 dependants aged 18 or over. This information is drawn from the May 1989 "Annual Statistical Enquiry", a copy of which is available in the Library.
Disabled People
15. Mr. Gregory : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement about the impact of recent technological developments upon the disabled.
Mr. Scott : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Walthamstow (Mr. Summerson).
Departmental Staff
16. Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps he intends to take to increase the availability of staff at DSS offices in response to the increase in applications for benefit ; and if he will make a statement.
Miss Widdecombe : The staff resource allocation to DSS offices is based on a system which takes account of workload forecasts. The benefit agency monitors these forecasts and the staffing allocation and determines what action is necessary in respect of any changes. Account is taken of both increases and decreases in benefit workloads as some changes can be partly or wholly offset against others.
Sick and Disabled People
17. Miss Emma Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the figure for the average annual increase in spending on long-term sick and disabled people (a) since 1979 and (b) for the period 1974 to 1979.
Mr. Scott : We are currently spending £10.1 billion per year on benefits for long-term sick and disabled people. This represents an annual increase of £470 million per year at 1990-91 prices since 1979, compared with £310 million per year between 1974 and 1979.
19. Sir Bernard Braine : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the most recent figure for the
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average annual increase in spending on long- term sick and disabled people since 1979 ; and what were the comparable figures for the period 1974 to 1979.Mr. Scott : I refer my right hon. Friend to the reply given earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Torridge and Devon, West (Miss Nicholson).
Pensioners (Incomes)
18. Mr. Bowis : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much pensioners' total incomes would have increased since 1979 if the rate of increase between 1974 and 1979 had continued ; and if he will make a statement.
Miss Widdecombe : The average net pensioner income increased by only 3 per cent., in real terms, between 1974 and 1979. My hon. Friend will be interested to learn that, had this rate of growth continued, the increase in pensioners' net incomes, in 1987 prices, between 1979 and 1987 would have been a mere £3.80 per week when in fact they rose by £24 during this period.
21. Mr. Winnick : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what recent representations he has received regarding the income and related matters of pensioners.
Miss Widdecombe : My right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and Secretary of State recently met delegates from the Pensioners Convention. Ministers have also, in recent months, met
representatives of four national pensioner organisations.
Invalid Care Allowance
20. Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the earnings disregard in invalid care allowance ; and what its value was two years ago.
Mr. Scott : On 8 April the earnings limit for invalid care allowance increased from £20 to £30 a week. In April 1989 the limit was £12.
Claimants
22. Mr. Burt : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what measures he is implementing to improve service to social security claimants.
Miss Widdecombe : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given earlier today to my hon. Friends the Members for Chislehurst (Mr. Sims) and for Broxtowe (Mr. Lester).
Family Credit
23. Ms. Armstrong : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much has been spent on advertising family credit since September 1989 ; and by how many the number of recipients has increased.
Mr. Jack : There were 319,000 family credit awards in payment for September 1989. The number then fell every month until the end of the year, when it stood at 298,000. Further advertising from mid-November and subsequently cost a total of £6.1 million. The caseload then rose each month from January 1990 until July when it reached 326,000 and then averaged well over 320,000 throughout the second half of 1990. This is a considerable achievement when viewed against the background of a constantly changing eligible population.
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24. Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of new claims for family credit was unsuccessful in the last month for which information is available.Mr. Jack : Some 48.4 per cent. of new family credit claims cleared during March 1991 were unsuccessful. This includes claims which were withdrawn or invalid, as well as those where it was decided that the family was not entitled to benefit.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what level of family credit award is necessary (a) to activate entitlement to other benefits for which entitlement to or receipt of family credit is a condition and (b) prevents the claimant from making a new claim for family credit if her circumstances change during the currency of the award.
Mr. Jack : Entitlement to other benefits, such as the remission of NHS charges and certain payments from the social fund, exists only for families who are in receipt of family credit. Where the amount of family credit entitlement is less than 50p a week it is not payable and therefore in that situation there would be no automatic entitlement to the other benefits.
Family credit is payable for 26 weeks and the rate at which it is payable is not affected by any change of circumstances during that period. Thus, whenever family credit entitlement is 50p a week or more, and therefore payable, no account can be taken of a change of circumstances during the currency of an award.
Low-Income Workers
25. Mr. Ralph Howell : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what measures the Government have implemented since 1983 to assist working people on low incomes.
Mr. Jack : Tax and national insurance contribution changes have ensured that working people keep more of their own pay. The reformed benefit system has resulted in a huge reduction in the number of working people who would be better off on benefit, and people no longer find themselves worse off as a result of increasing their earnings.
Occupational Pensions
27. Mr. Cran : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentage of the retired population has an occupational pension ; and what is the percentage for the most recently retired.
Miss Widdecombe : My hon. Friend will be pleased to hear that, in 1987, 52 per cent. of all pensioners and 73 per cent. of recently retired pensioners received income from occupational pensions.
Pensioners (Benefits)
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what further help he will give to people past retirement age who rely on state benefits as their sole source of income.
Miss Widdecombe : As a proportion of all pensioners, the number of people past state pension age living solely
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on state benefits, including those for disability, fell from 23 per cent. in 1979 to 16 per cent. in 1987. All pensioners' benefits are regularly uprated. In addition, income support and other income-related benefits for elderly people have recently been increased by more than the normal uprating index.Tax Benefit Withdrawals
Mr. Ralph Howell : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people earn less than the respective point at which the tax benefit withdrawal level falls to 34 per cent.
Mr. Jack : Reliable estimates are not available on the basis requested. Estimates of the number of full-time workers receiving income- related benefits and facing combined income tax and benefit withdrawal rates in excess of 40 per cent. were given to the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, East (Mr. Brown) on 8 March at column 314-15. It is very unlikely that there are any full-time workers facing marginal deduction rates between 34 per cent. and 40 per cent.
One-parent Benefit
Mr. Ralph Howell : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is (a) the weekly benefit entitlement when not working of a single parent with two children aged eight and 12 years and (b) the weekly income of a single parent with two children, also aged eight and 12 years, with earnings of £10, £15, £20, £30, £40 and £50.
Mr. Jack : The information is set out in the table. All assumptions are as set out in the published tax/benefit model tables. The family is assumed to live in council property appropriate to its size and to pay estimated average rent and community charge. Average rents are provisional 1991-92 figures and community charge has been assessed at £250 per annum. Any relevant changes announced in the Budget, including the increase in child benefit which will take effect in October, have also been incorporated. It has been assumed that the earnings of £10 to £30 a week are in respect of part-time work with the family remaining in receipt of income support. This means that the net income will remain static once the earnings disregard of £15.00 a week has been reached.
It should be noted that the results in the tables remain arbitrary. They cannot reflect, except by chance, the actual circumstances of particular people and cannot claim to be representative of the population at large. The tables use hypothetical rents, so do not reflect the full range of housing costs which people can pay.
Single person with two children aged 8 and 12
Total net income on Income Support: £ 121.55
Net income after rent and Community Charge
on Income Support: £ 91.14
Gross |Total net |Net income
earnings |income |after rent and
|community
|charge
(£ pw) |(£ pw) |(£ pw)
------------------------------------------------------------
10.00 |131.55 |101.14
15.00 |136.55 |106.14
20.00 |136.55 |106.14
30.00 |136.55 |106.14
40.00 |148.34 |117.93
50.00 |150.08 |119.67
Mr. Ralph Howell : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what were the numbers and percentages of (a) women and (b) men in receipt of one-parent benefit (i) in 1979, (ii) in 1989 and (iii) in 1990.
Mr. Jack : The information is set out in the table.
One parent benefit: Male and Female claimants
|Number |Women |Number |Men |Total
|per cent. |per cent.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
1979 |334,000 |87 |50,000 |13 |384,000
1989 |637,000 |91 |60,000 |9 |698,000
1990 |681,000 |92 |63,000 |8 |744,000
Notes:
1. The figures are for 31 December of each year and are rounded.
2. Before 1981 One Parent Benefit was known as Child Benefit
Increase.
3. Source Departmental records.
Claimants
Mr. Ralph Howell : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people received each of the main social security benefits in each year from 1979 to the latest date available ; and what was the percentage increase from 1979 in each case.
Mr. Jack : Estimates of the numbers of claimants receiving each of the main benefits for the years 1978-79 to 1990-91 and the percentage increases since 1979 are shown in the tables.
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Estimated average numbers receiving benefits at any one time<1>
thousands
|1978-79|1979-80|1980-81|1981-82|1982-83|1983-84|1984-85
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Retirement pension |8,530 |8,680 |8,880 |9,015 |9,115 |9,210 |9,350
Widows' benefits |495 |490 |475 |460 |445 |440 |425
Unemployment benefit |570 |550 |960 |1,220 |1,090 |1,020 |1,020
Sickness benefit<2> |560 |490 |435 |445 |395 |170 |180
Statutory sick pay<2> |- |- |- |- |- |240 |240
Invalidity benefit |600 |620 |620 |660 |700 |760 |825
Industrial disablement benefit<3> |270 |270 |265 |260 |265 |265 |260
Industrial death benefit |30 |30 |30 |30 |30 |30 |30
Maternity allowance |100 |115 |120 |125 |125 |110 |120
Statutory maternity pay |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
Non-contributory retirement pension |65 |55 |50 |50 |45 |40 |35
War pension |385 |370 |360 |345 |330 |315 |305
Attendance allowance |265 |285 |315 |350 |390 |445 |490
Invalid care allowance |5 |5 |5 |5 |10 |10 |10
Severe disability allowance |150 |165 |175 |180 |195 |210 |245
Mobility allowance |95 |140 |185 |210 |265 |315 |390
Income support/Supplementary benefit<4> |3,020 |2,920 |3,110 |3,725 |4,165 |4,435 |4,665
Child benefit-numbers of children<5> |13,480 |13,330 |13,160 |13,145 |12,890 |12,660 |12,430
One parent benefit |290 |370 |430 |470 |510 |540 |565
Family credit/Family income supplement |85 |80 |95 |125 |165 |200 |205
Housing benefit<6><7>
rent rebate |1,210 |1,205 |1,330 |1,590 |3,050 |3,735 |3,745
rent allowance |225 |220 |240 |250 |260 |1,015 |1,080
rate rebate |3,055 |3,065 |3,350 |3,700 |5,320 |7,020 |7,230
Community charge rebates/benefit<8>-caseload |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
Estimated average numbers receiving benefits at any one time<1> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Retirement pension |9,400 |9,575 |9,685 |9,710 |9,795 |9,905 |16.1 Widows' benefits |410 |400 |385 |370 |375 |365 |-26.3 Unemployment benefit |955 |1,005 |815 |600 |375 |385 |-32.5 Sickness benefit<2> |160 |100 |105 |105 |105 |105 |-81.3 Statutory sick pay<2> |245 |320 |345 |365 |360 |360 |n/a Invalidity benefit |865 |935 |1,010 |1,100 |1,190 |1,270 |111.7 Industrial disablement benefit<3> |265 |285 |290 |295 |295 |305 |13.0 Industrial death benefit |30 |30 |25 |30 |30 |25 |-16.7 Maternity allowance |115 |110 |<10>30 |15 |20 |20 |-80.0 Statutory maternity pay |80 |80 |90 |95 |n/a Non-contributory retirement pension |35 |40 |35 |35 |35 |35 |-46.2 War pension |295 |280 |270 |265 |265 |265 |-31.2 Attendance allowance |555 |605 |670 |730 |795 |890 |235.8 Invalid care allowance |10 |<9>25 |80 |100 |115 |125 |2,400.0 Severe disablement allowance |245 |265 |265 |270 |280 |295 |96.7 Mobility allowance |420 |460 |515 |560 |585 |630 |563.2 Income support/Supplementary benefit<4> |4,765 |5,059 |5,020 |4,310 |4,155 |4,165 |37.9 Child benefit-numbers of children<5> |12,375 |12,175 |12,040 |12,010 |12,000 |12,165 |-9.8 One parent benefit |590 |615 |660 |705 |735 |760 |162.1 Family credit/Family income supplement |205 |215 |220 |280 |305 |315 |270.6 Housing benefit<6><7> rent rebate |3,710 |3,720 |3,665 |3,125 |2,950 |3,030 |150.4 rent allowance |1,150 |1,180 |1,195 |965 |955 |975 |333.3 rate rebate |7,020 |7,050 |6,875 |5,150 |4,320 Community charge rebates/benefit<8> <11>155.2 -caseload |865 |7,795 <1> For contributory and non income-related benefits the number of individuals receiving benefit are shown. For retirement pension women receiving their own pension, based on their own or their husbands' contributions, are counted separately. For income support/supplementary benefit and family credit/family income supplement the numbers are individuals or couples where living together. For housing benefit the number of households receiving benefit are shown. Beneficiaries may be receiving more than one benefit at any time. <2> Reflects the introduction of statutory sick pay in April 1983 and its extension to 28 weeks from April 1986. <3> Recipients of Disablement Pension and/or Reduced Earnings Allowance. <4> Figures to 1987-88 include those receiving housing benefit supplement (some 440,000 in 1987-88) who are also included in the figures for housing benefit recipients. <5> Numbers of children in families receiving child benefit, including those also receiving one parent benefit. <6> There is significant overlap: most households getting assistance with rent will also be in receipt of rate rebate/community charge benefit. <7> Figures to 1981-82 relate only to the rebate and allowance scheme for those not receiving supplementary benefit. Thereafter the figures reflect the partial introduction of the housing benefit scheme from November 1982, and full start from November 1983. <8> Community Charge rebates payable in Scotland only in 1989-90. <9> Reflects the decision announced in June 1986 to extend eligibility to invalid care to married women. <10> Reflects the introduction of statutory maternity pay from 6 April 1987. <11> Compares community charge benefit recipients in 1990-91 with rate rebate recipients in 1978-79. <12> Source: Public Expenditure White Papers 1984-1990 and 1991 Departmental Report.
Benefits and Allowances
Mr. Ralph Howell : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the benefit and allowances to which a married man with eight children under 11 years is entitled if his gross weekly earnings are (a) £90, (b) £120 and (c) £180 and he is paying average rent and rates (i) if he is working and (ii) if he is unemployed and showing the total net weekly spending power in each case.
Mr. Jack : The information is set out in the table. All assumptions are as set out in the published tax benefit model tables. Each family is assumed to live in council property appropriate to its size and to pay estimated average rent and community charge. Average rents are provisional 1991-92 figures and community charge has been assessed at £250 per annum. Any relevant changes announced in the Budget, including the increase in child benefit which will take effect in October, have also been incorporated.
It should be noted that the results in the tables remain arbitary. They cannot reflect, except by chance, the actual circumstances of particular people and cannot claim to be representative of the population at large. The tables use hypothetical rents so they do not reflect the full range of housing costs which people can pay.
Married couple with 8 children aged under 11
Total net income on Income Support: £ 232.85
Total net income after Rent and Community charge on Income
Support: £ 197.63
Gross |Family |Child |Total net |Net income
earnings |credit |benefit |income |after
|rent and
|community
|charge
£ |£ |£ |£ |£
------------------------------------------------------------------
90.00 |99.89 |61.75 |246.76 |211.54
120.00 |85.88 |61.75 |252.77 |217.55
180.00 |58.16 |61.75 |264.65 |229.43
Note: No rent rebate or Community Charge benefit is payable at
these earnings levels. This is due to the high rate of Family
Credit.
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Benefit Statistics
Mr. Ralph Howell : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the total number of supplementary benefit, income support and family support recipients and the total cost for each year since 1979 to the latest date available.
Miss Widdecombe : The information requested is in the table.
Supplementary Benefit/Income Support<1> and Family Income
Supplement/Family Credit<1>: Recipients and expenditure
Recipients (000's) Expenditure (£ million)
|IS/ |FC/FIS |IS/ |FC/FIS
|Supplementary |Supplementary
|Benefit<1> |Benefit
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1978-79 |3,020 |85 |2,256 |24
1979-80 |2,920 |80 |2,436 |27
1980-81 |3,110 |95 |3,172 |42
1981-82 |3,725 |125 |4,840 |66
1982-83 |4,165 |165 |6,261 |94
1983-84 |4,435 |200 |5,591 |123
1984-85 |4,665 |205 |6,444 |126
1985-86 |4,765 |205 |7,377 |130
1986-87 |5,095 |215 |7,962 |161
1987-88 |5,020 |220 |7,952 |180
1988-89 |4,310 |280 |7,575 |394
1989-90 |4,155 |305 |7,675 |425
1990-91 |4,165 |315 |8,545 |484
Source: Public Expenditure White Papers and Departmental
Report 1991.
<1>In April 1988 Supplementary Benefit was replaced by Income
Support, and Family Income Supplement was replaced by Family
Credit.
Mr. Ralph Howell : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the central Government expenditure on rent rebates, rent allowances, rate rebates and family credit in 1979 and 1990 ; and what was the income level at which these benefits cease and the number of persons in receipt of such benefits in each year.
Miss Widdecombe : The information available is in the table. In 1979 -80 help with housing costs was provided through the supplementary benefit scheme administered by the Department of Health and Social Security, and the
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rent and rate rebate and rent allowance schemes which were the responsibility of the Department of the Environment. The costs and numbers getting help with housing costs through supplementary benefit are not readily available. The figures for 1979-80 therefore represent Department of the Environment schemes only.The expenditure data shown for 1979-80 reflect total local authority spending. This was subsidised at the rate of 90 per cent. The 1990-91 figures are the amount of the central Government grant paid to local authorities through housing benefit subsidy. Direct comparison of the two sets of figures would be misleading because of the limited nature of the information for 1979-80.
The income level at which eligibility to family income supplement/credit and housing/community charge benefit ceases depends on the size of the household. Additionally in the latter two benefits the level of eligible costs affects entitlement. There is therefore no single income level at which entitlement would cease.
|Expenditure |Caseload
|£ million |(Thousands)<1>
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
1979-80
Rent rebate |238 |1,205
Rent allowance |40 |220
Rate rebate<2> |201 |3,065
Family income supplement<3> |27 |80
1990-91
Rent rebate |<4>510 |3,030
Rent allowance |1,549 |975
Community charge benefit<2> |2,192 |7,795
Family credit<3> |484 |315
Notes:
<1> Estimated average numbers receiving benefits at any one time.
For family income supplement/family credit and community charge
benefit couples are counted as one. For rent and rate rebates and rent
allowances the number of households receiving benefit is shown.
Beneficiaries may be receiving more than one benefit at any time.
<2> Rate rebate in 1979-80, community charge benefit in 1990-91.
<3> Family income supplement in 1979-80, family credit in 1990-91.
<4> From 1990-91, most central Government support for rent
rebates appears in the Department of the Environment and Welsh
Office programmes, as rent rebate subsidy in England and Wales will
be paid from local authorities housing revenue accounts. The
amounts for 1990-91 are:
Rent Rebates (England) £ 2,297 million
Rent Rebates (Wales) £ 158 million.
Mr. Ralph Howell : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the total number of people claiming sickness and invalidity benefit at the latest date available ; and what was the number of people claiming sickness and invalidity benefit in March 1979 and 1989.
Mr. Scott : The total number of people claiming sickness or invalidity benefit at 28 February 1991, the latest date available, is 1,690,000 . This total is provisional and subject to amendment. The total number of people claiming sickness or invalidity benefit on 31 March 1979 was 1,289,000 ; and on 1 April 1989 was 1,392,000 .
Source--local office caseload count.
Source--Social Security Statistics.
Mr. Ralph Howell : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he will state the total number of supplementary benefit recipients, including dependents, as defined for community charge purposes for each year since 1979 ;
(2) what was the total number of persons dependent on both social security and housing rebates in (a) 1979-80, (b) 1984-85, (c) 1985-86, (d) 1989-90, (e) 1990-91, for the latest date available, and the forecast for 1991-92.
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