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areas for which unemployment rate are officially compiled are travel-to-work areas. The numbers of claimant unemployed in the Wentworth constituency in March 1993 stood at 4,824.Figures from the 1991 census show that the number of economically inactive people aged 16-plus in the Wentworth constituency on 21 April 1991 was 28,213.
Unemployment figures from the census of population cannot be compared with those published by the Employment Department. The former are based on a much looser definition and, in particular, do not include an "actively seeking work" criterion in the definition. The Department's figures are available in the Library.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Sickness and Invalidity Benefit
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people receiving (a) sickness benefit and (b) invalidity benefit in each month since January 1992 previously sought unemployment benefit.
Mr. Scott : This information is not available.
Benefits
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people receiving benefits other than unemployment benefit in each year since 1979 were unemployed and under retirement age.
Mr. Burt : The benefits payable to unemployed people under retirement age are income support, housing benefit, council tax benefit, and social fund grants and loans. The table shows the number of income support recipients who are unemployed and not in receipt of unemployment benefit for each year for which figures are available. Income support recipients may also be in receipt of housing benefit, community charge benefit and/or social fund grants or loans. The number of unemployed people who were not in receipt of income support or unemployment benefit, but who received housing benefit, community charge benefit or social fund grants or loans is not available.
Table file CW930428.030 not available
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Pensioners' Income
Mr. Bradley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the percentage of pensioners with an annual income of less than £5,000 for the latest year for which information is available ; and if he will give a breakdown by age.
Miss Widdecombe : I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) on 14 April 1993 at columns 663-64 .
Disability Living Allowance
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what consideration his Department is giving to the state of disability living allowance administration arising from reports of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration.
Mr. Scott : All reports received from the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration are fully and carefully considered by this Department. When an individual case report brings to light procedural weaknesses then appropriate remedial measures are put in hand. The Commissioner's annual report for 1992 refers to a significant number of complaints about the standards of service for disability living allowance which will be the subject of a later report.
Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many disability appeal tribunals have been held in each region on the subject of disability living allowance ; and if he will list their outcome.
Mr. Scott : The administration of disability appeal tribunals is the responsibility of the president of the independent tribunal service, his honour Judge Thorpe, and the hon. Member may wish to contact his office to obtain this information.
Claimants Abroad
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to review the actively seeking employment regulations in relation to claimants who travel to the United States of America.
Mr. Burt : We have no plans to do so. Benefits for unemployment are not generally payable abroad except under limited provisions within the European Community social security regulations. Claimants travelling to the United States of America have no entitlement to these benefits.
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to review payment of benefits to people living abroad.
Mr. Burt : We are reviewing procedures to prevent payment to those living abroad who do not qualify for benefit.
Rent Allowances
Mr. Spellar : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the latest estimate of expenditure on rent allowances for the financial year 1992-93 ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Burt : The latest estimate of expenditure on rent allowances for the financial year 1992-93 is £2,903 million.
Notes : The source of this information is the 1993 Departmental report published in February 1993. A copy of the report has been placed in the Library.
Unemployment Benefit
Mr. Frank Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would have been the cost of upgrading unemployment benefit to the same level as invalidity benefit, including increases for adult and child dependents, for each year since 1987 ; what would be the cost of doing so for the years up to 1995-96 ; and what would be the cost per year of paying unemployment benefit at such increased rate for the full duration of unemployment.
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Mr. Burt [holding answer 19 April 1993] : Estimated costs for year prior to 1993-94 are not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
The estimated net cost, at 1993-94 prices, of upgrading unemployment benefit to invalidity benefit levels is £740 million in 1993-94 and 1994-95, and £730 million in 1995-96.
The estimated cost of extending the increased unemployment benefit to cover the full duration of unemployment is an additional £750 million per annum at 1993-94 prices. This estimate is less certain as the characteristics of those people who currently exhaust their entitlement to unemployment benefit are not available and broad assumptions based upon the characteristics of unemployed people not in receipt of unemployment benefit have been used.
The estimates do not take account of any behavioural changes associated with such upgrading of unemployment benefit.
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