§ Mr. McLeishTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the number of 16 and 17-year-olds who will lose their general entitlement to benefit in September; and if he will also give an estimate of the number likely to retain their entitlement.
§ Mr. ScottOur best estimate is that some 70,000 school leavers will be affected by the September changes removing general income support entitlement and guaranteeing a YTS place and a training allowance. In some 18,000 cases income support dependency additions will be payable during the child benefit extension period because the young person's parents will be in receipt of income support. We estimate that of the order of 4,000 young people with good reason for living independently will be entitled to income support in their own right during the child benefit extension period only.
A possible 90,000 16 and 17-year-olds already in receipt of income support before September will instead receive bridging allowance from the Department of Employment for a limited period until they take up a place on the youth training scheme.
A total of some 18,000 young people will continue to be entitled to income support in their own right. These will include lone-parents and the severely disabled.