§ Mr. Gordon Brownasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a table showing the numbers of unemployed supplementary benefit claimants in receipt of a payment for mortgage interest according to the amount of mortgage interest payment made in bands of £5.
§ Mr. WhitneyEstimates of average payments for mortgage interest and ground rent can be produced, but available data are not sufficiently reliable to provide a satisfactory analysis of the type requested.
§ Mr. Gordon Brownasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the average payment made for mortgage interest to (a) unemployed supplementary benefit claimants on benefit for less than six months, (b) all unemployed supplementary benefit claimants, (c) other supplementary benefit claimants and (d) all supplementary benefit claimants.
§ Mr. WhitneyInformation is not available in the precise form requested. The estimated average weekly payments of supplementary benefit for mortgage interest and ground rent in 1982, which are the latest figures available, are as follows:
Claimant Group Average payment for mortgage interest £ a Unemployed supplementary benefit claimants on benefit for less than six months 17.09 b All unemployed supplementary benefit claimants 16.92 c Other supplementary benefit claimants 9.34 d All supplementary benefit claimants 13.87 Source: Annual Statistical Enquiry.
258W
Number of families Earnings of head of family £ Under 21 Age of head of family 21–45 26–50 Over 50 All Nil 10 200 3,880 340 4,430 Under 5.00 0 60 730 40 830 5.00—9.99 0 100 620 50 770 10.00–14.99 0 50 1,060 90 1,200 15.00–19.99 0 70 1,090 50 1,210 20.00–24.99 40 150 1,540 130 1,860 25.00–29.99 70 150 3,000 110 3,330 30.00–34.99 230 500 4,800 190 5,720 35.00–39.99 210 450 4,410 200 5,270 40.00–44.99 400 930 8,340 360 10,030 45.00–49.99 340 1,100 9,420 390 11,250 50.00–54.99 540 1,560 10,760 530 13,390 55.00–59.99 760 1,650 9,740 470 12,620 60.00–64.99 690 2,340 11,360 570 14,960 65.00–69.99 820 2,170 11,540 550 15,080 70.00–74.99 950 3,330 13,040 700 18,020 75.00 or more 1,930 11,330 68,360 2,570 84,190 All 6,990 26,140 163,690 7,340 204,160
§ Mr. Gordon Brownasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the average payment for (a) rates and (b) water rates for people in receipt of supplementary benefit; and if he will provide a table showing the numbers receiving payment for (i) rates and (ii) water rates according to the amount received in bands of £2 in each case.
§ Mr. WhitneyThe information is not available in the precise form requested. It is estimated that in May 1983, the latest date for which figures are available, about 2,870,000 supplementary benefit recipients received rate rebates, at an average weekly rate of about £4.30. The estimated distribution by amount of rate rebate was as follows:
Estimated number of recipients Thousands Amount of weekly rate rebate 300 under £2 1,050 £2-£3.99 1,050 £-4£5.99 450 over £6 The latest information for water rates relates to the amount taken into account in calculating supplementary benefit and is contained in table 6.14 of the December 1982 edition of the Supplementary Benefit Annual Statistical Enquiry, a copy of which is in the Library. I regret that this table excludes certain recipients affected by the partial start of housing benefit for whom the information is not available.