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Child Benefit
15. Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the number of parents with children aged 16 to 19 years who receive child benefit; and what representations he has received about the payment of child benefit to them. [28819]
Mr. Andrew Mitchell: The latest figures available indicate that at 31 December 1995 there were 1.09 million families receiving child benefit in respect of children aged over 16 and under 19 in full-time non-advanced education. I have received only one letter questioning the payment of child benefit in respect of those over 16.
23. Mr. Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people between 16 and 19 years in full-time education are currently in receipt of child benefit.[28827]
Mr. Mitchell: At the end of last year child benefit was payable in respect of 1.16 million people aged over 16 and under 19, in full-time non-advanced education. Entitlement to child benefit will continue until they leave that education or reach age 19, whichever is sooner.
27. Mr. Harry Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the cost of child benefit for 16 to 18-year-olds in 1995-96; and if he will make a statement. [28831]
Mr. Mitchell: The estimate of child benefit expenditure for 1995-96 in respect of 16 to 18-year-olds is around £640 million.
I believe that all families with dependent children should receive some help from either the tax or benefit system, a principle recognised throughout Europe and beyond.
The Government have a manifesto pledge to continue to pay child benefit to all families in respect of all children, including 16 to 18-year-olds in full-time non-advanced education, and to uprate it in line with prices. We have honoured that pledge.
21 May 1996 : Column: 179
Ms Lynne:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the average age of the income support claims withdrawn by parents with care following action by the Child Support Agency or liable relatives section in (a) 1995 and (b) 1992. [29673]
Mr. Andrew Mitchell:
The information requested is not available.
Ms Lynne:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many lone parents were on income support in each year since 1989. [29674]
Mr. Roger Evans:
The information available is set out in the table.
| Year | Number of claimants |
|---|---|
| 1989 | 756,000 |
| 1990 | 793,000 |
| 1991 | 871,000 |
| 1992 | 957,000 |
| 1993 | 1,013,000 |
| 1994 | 1,039,000 |
| 1995 | 1,056,000 |
Notes:
1. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest thousand.
2. Lone parents are defined as claimants receiving the lone parent premium.
3. Sample size 1 in 20.
Source:
Income Support Statistics Annual Enquiries 1989-1993
Income Support Statistics Quarterly Enquiries May 1994 and May 1995.
Ms Lynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the total amount paid to lone parents in income support (a) in money terms and (b) at constant prices in each year since 1989. [29675]
Mr. Evans: The information available is in the table.
| Year | |
|---|---|
| 1989-90 | 3,961 |
| 1990-91 | 4,680 |
| 1991-92 | 5,728 |
| 1992-93 | 7,107 |
| 1993-94 | 8,124 |
| 1994-95 | 8,884 |
| 1995-96 | 9,510 |
| Year | £ million |
|---|---|
| 1989-90 | 5,096 |
| 1990-91 | 5,574 |
| 1991-92 | 6,423 |
| 1992-93 | 7,657 |
| 1993-94 | 8,505 |
| 1994-95 | 9,128 |
| 1995-96 | 9,510 |
Source:
March 1996 departmental report and earlier equivalents.
21 May 1996 : Column: 180
Income Support
17. Mr. Tony Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what number and proportion of children under 10 years old are in families receiving income support. [28821]
Mr. Roger Evans: The number of children under 10 years old in families on income support in May 1995 was just over 2 million. This is approximately 27 per cent. of the total number of children under 10 years old in Great Britain.
Notes:
1. May 1995 is the latest available data in Income Support recipients.
2. Latest available estimates for the GB population relate to mid-94, the proportion is therefore based upon mid-94 population estimates.
3. Source: Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiry--May 1995. Population Estimates Unit, ONS.
19.
Mr. Evans: Information is not available in the form requested. However, in May 1995 there were 685,000 families with children--nearly 44 per cent. of the total--who had been on income support for three years or more.
Notes:
1. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest thousand.
2. May 1995 is the latest date for which data are available.
3. Source: Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiry: May 1995.
Reduced Earnings Allowance
21. Mr. Canavan: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what recent representations he has received about reduced earnings allowance; and if he will make a statement. [28825]
Mr. Roger Evans: Reduced earnings allowance continues to be paid as before to anyone who is under pensionable age or continuing in regular employment. A number of hon. Members have written to Ministers about the amendments to regulations from 24 March which brought in fairer rules for the transfer of people on reduced earnings allowance to retirement allowance when they reach pensionable age and give up regular employment.
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the operation of the reduced earnings allowance. [28909]
Mr. Evans: Parliament agreed, in passing the 1988 Social Security Act, that compensation for loss of earnings through reduced earnings allowance should continue to past pension age only for those men and women who continued in regular employment. Otherwise it should cease and be replaced by retirement allowance, payable at no more than 25 per cent. of the rate of reduced earnings allowance.
Amendment regulations which came into force on 24 March ensure this principle is applied fairly and
21 May 1996 : Column: 181
consistently. These regulations were debated in Standing Committee on 8 May 1996.
22. Mr. Miller:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the current cost of administering the habitual residence test; and what savings in benefits have been made in the current calendar year following the introduction of the test. [28826]
Mr. Roger Evans:
I refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Lewisham, East (Mrs. Prentice) on 23 April, Official Report, column 131.
26. Mr. Olner:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social security what action he proposes to take to tackle poverty among pensioners. [28830]
Mr. Heald:
Our policy has been to increase the basic retirement pension in line with the annual rise in prices, encourage personal provision through occupational and private pensions and to target additional resources on poorer pensioners through income-related benefits. Between 1979 and 1993 pensioners' average income increased by more than 50 per cent.
21 May 1996 : Column: 182
Mr. Foulkes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the percentage success rate for applications for incapacity benefit at each Benefits Agency office in Scotland for each month up to the most recent available; what was the number of appeals against refusal; and what percentage were successful in each case.[29280]
Mr. Burt:
This is a matter for Peter Mathison, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. George Foulkes, dated 20 May 1996:
21 May 1996 : Column: 181
Notes:
1. Data for April 1995 is unavailable.
2. Clyde Coast and Cowal district: incapacity benefit claims moved from Port Glasgow to Greenock from January 1996.
3. Data is provsional and subject to amendment.
Source:
100 per cent. count of cases on the incapacity benefit system. Excludes a small number of clerically processed cases.
21 May 1996 : Column: 185
The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what was the percentage success rate for applications for Incapacity Benefit (IB) at each Benefit Agency (BA) office in Scotland for each month up to the most recent available; what was the number of appeals against refusal; and what percentage were successful in each case.
The attached tables give details of the percentage success rate for applications for IB at each BA office in Scotland. The information requested for the number of appeals against refusal on application and the percentage that are successful is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
I hope you find this reply helpful.
The following table shows the percentage of successful (applications) claims to incapacity benefit for 1995-96. These decisions are made prior to the application of the IB all work test.
Local office May June July August September October November December January February March
Clyde Coast and Cowal
Greenock 57.5 59.5 50.0 52.3 58.4 53.4 51.9 55.8 63.9 60.4 63.3
Port Glasgow 72.2 64.2 53.7 56.6 59.8 63.2 60.0 66.2 -- -- --
Clyde Valley
Motherwell 66.9 60.1 65.6 64.9 64.5 63.7 62.8 64.7 66.2 63.4 65.3
Hamilton 75.6 62.3 64.9 60.3 68.6 69.6 62.9 60.4 68.9 64.8 69.1
Coatbridge
Coatbridge 72.8 59.9 60.0 64.1 51.2 65.4 59.8 61.5 62.8 67.2 62.4
Airdrie 59.5 65.1 61.1 55.7 54.1 60.3 63.9 54.9 66.8 59.6 65.1
East Lowlands
Edinburgh South 71.5 62.9 53.7 60.0 57.2 57.5 50.6 61.4 59.0 52.6 50.5
Edinburgh East 50.8 65.8 58.8 54.2 46.7 51.5 53.8 57.0 54.0 56.8 52.0
Galashiels 72.7 60.0 64.5 62.2 59.5 56.0 67.1 63.6 65.4 58.9 60.7
Fife
Kirkcaldy 64.5 57.6 55.6 55.0 48.6 62.7 59.3 59.5 55.0 59.5 54.4
Cowdenbeath 66.1 62.7 57.6 62.1 55.1 57.3 64.3 62.8 72.2 59.6 52.3
Leven 65.4 62.3 66.4 54.6 54.0 66.7 59.4 70.7 62.7 60.2 55.8
Dunfermline 66.4 57.5 52.1 66.4 60.6 63.1 59.1 61.2 56.7 55.7 60.0
Forth Valley
Stirling 72.6 56.2 63.1 62.8 55.8 59.8 64.4 58.5 55.1 63.0 57.1
Falkirk 64.8 63.4 58.4 55.9 63.1 57.9 66.1 58.4 68.9 62.2 59.0
Glasgow City
Glasgow City 36.0 53.4 27.7 33.8 38.5 32.8 40.0 28.3 45.8 42.9 40.0
Glasgow Maryhill 57.9 55.1 59.2 54.5 49.1 54.4 55.6 55.1 59.6 59.4 52.7
Glasgow East
Glasgow Shettleston 67.6 57.4 60.1 60.6 56.8 58.9 53.7 56.8 62.5 58.6 61.6
Glasgow Bridgeton 48.4 37.8 39.1 43.0 44.9 42.8 47.0 44.3 46.2 42.3 41.1
Glasgow Provan 47.9 42.9 43.1 44.6 32.2 43.2 47.3 52.4 50.6 43.1 46.1
Glasgow Laurieston
Glasgow Laurieston 52.8 58.9 54.5 47.2 55.8 53.8 51.9 55.0 58.9 55.1 46.7
East Kilbride 71.1 66.3 63.8 65.9 67.9 67.1 68.1 70.8 71.7 63.6 66.1
Glasgow South West
Glasgow South West 55.7 53.1 56.5 54.5 51.8 51.9 56.6 51.4 61.9 52.8 55.7
Glasgow Springburn and Cumbernauld
Glasgow Springburn 67.1 58.0 50.9 53.9 54.7 62.5 57.4 52.2 66.7 60.4 49.6
Glasgow Cumbernauld 70.9 71.0 64.5 71.1 69.0 68.3 69.9 67.1 72.7 69.4 68.5
Glasgow West
Glasgow Anniesland 42.9 50.0 53.9 49.3 51.8 45.9 43.0 54.7 58.1 50.4 50.0
Glasgow Patrick 58.5 56.4 56.0 52.8 46.5 48.9 44.1 47.1 54.1 50.9 47.8
Grampian and Shetland
Aberdeen 71.8 65.8 63.3 67.8 65.3 66.1 58.5 65.8 63.9 60.3 61.5
Lerwick 83.3 79.1 77.7 82.2 80.5 66.7 73.0 73.9 73.3 77.8 70.3
Peterhead 69.1 69.6 63.3 69.2 65.1 64.4 66.9 66.9 64.8 65.7 65.6
Highlands and Islands
Inverness 67.5 57.1 54.7 53.4 59.7 55.1 59.1 59.6 61.3 59.6 66.0
Elgin 65.6 62.5 53.9 62.5 62.3 63.5 55.2 66.4 64.2 61.3 64.5
Fort William 60.0 58.8 47.6 61.7 61.7 56.5 63.0 59.6 57.1 51.3 52.8
Kirkwall 68.0 61.1 69.6 46.4 78.4 41.4 69.7 70.8 63.3 63.6 54.5
Stornoway 56.5 65.8 76.1 59.1 57.9 80.0 67.4 82.6 80.0 42.1 45.8
Wick 60.0 62.5 60.3 75.6 50.0 66.7 62.9 67.9 47.8 61.8 71.4
Irwine and Kilmarnock
Irwine 61.6 54.2 58.5 55.8 59.2 61.5 57.9 61.9 64.0 59.4 60.3
Kilmarnock 66.7 57.7 60.2 65.2 60.9 50.0 60.0 63.3 52.7 51.0 61.9
Lomond and Argyll
Clydebank 61.5 59.6 63.7 61.5 58.5 58.8 62.0 61.2 61.8 62.9 63.1
Cambeltown 47.3 58.3 46.9 58.9 51.5 60.7 64.3 50.0 75.0 52.9 58.8
Oban 47.4 69.7 65.6 73.8 80.0 58.1 51.1 56.0 73.7 62.5 59.3
Lothian and Central
Edinburgh City 55.0 51.5 44.2 53.4 43.5 45.3 49.1 55.6 50.8 44.2 72.4
Leith 54.4 48.9 56.8 55.3 52.7 50.0 47.1 56.6 51.4 56.5 52.0
Lothian West
Lothian West 69.2 64.9 62.3 62.1 59.3 59.6 58.1 62.2 60.8 62.2 58.1
Renfrew
Renfrew 72.8 61.2 61.9 64.8 61.8 60.6 63.3 64.0 64.2 61.9 65.0
South West Scotland
Ayr 66.7 56.7 58.6 54.7 57.4 56.4 58.0 55.3 68.6 63.4 55.3
Dumfries 72.4 72.5 63.4 67.7 61.4 65.4 64.4 72.3 64.7 67.2 62.1
Stranraer 67.6 51.1 66.7 60.3 71.4 58.7 70.5 51.2 68.5 63.3 55.0
Tayside
Dundee 63.8 61.3 60.3 61.1 61.1 59.9 57.7 65.4 59.7 58.7 56.8
Arbroath 65.2 62.4 66.7 69.2 62.7 66.7 63.0 67.5 60.5 62.4 55.7
Perth 69.7 61.0 58.1 67.6 63.5 60.5 68.6 64.7 69.9 60.3 63.6
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