HL Deb 07 February 1980 vol 404 cc1586-7WA
Lord VAIZEY

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will list:

  1. (a) the numbers of persons registered for work but who claim no benefit;
  2. (b) the numbers of persons who are registered and claiming no benefit but who the Government believe may be eligible for benefit;
for each year since 1958, giving data for February, May, August and November for each year.

Lord CULLEN of ASHBORNE

The numbers registered for work but not claiming benefit are shown in the table below.

REGISTERED UNEMPLOYED NON-CLAIMANTS
SEEKING FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT (GREAT BRITAIN)
Year February May August November
(Thousands)
1958 63 61 81 69
1959 69 63 93 66
1960 66 59 82 60
1961 57 49 75 58
1962 61 65 106 71
1963 71 67 104 63
1964 55 49 90 53
1965 50 46 77 49
1966 45 43 74 52
1967 49 47 78 51
1968 48 47 73 47
1969 45 43 73 47
1970 43 41 75 46
1971 44 43 88 50
1972 46 45 79 50
1973 42 34 42 31
1974 not available 29 46 32
1975 37 40 72 53
1976 53 55 77 not available
1977 64 66 95 84
1978 78 77 98 81
1979 73 73 98 85

SourceDepartment of Employment.

NOTES:

Figures from August 1974 exclude those seeking credits only who are included at earlier dates.

Figures from February 1976 exclude students seeking vacation employment but not claiming either benefits or credits.

The number of people registered for work who claim neither Unemployment nor Supplementary Benefit but who might be entitled to one or both of these benefits is not known, but it is thought that the majority will have no entitlement. It is estimated that nearly half of non-claimants are married women and the remainder includes occupational pensioners and employed people seeking alternative work. Up to 1972, school-leavers under age 16 were also included.