HC Deb 29 April 1991 vol 190 cc92-4W
Mrs. Ray Michie

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the number of people in the constituency of Argyll and Bute receiving(a) retirement pension, (b) widow's benefit, including death benefit, (c) invalidity benefit, (d) invalid care allowance, (e) severe disablement allowance, (f) unemployability supplement and (g) child benefit; how many of those in (a) to (f) also receive child benefit; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Scott

Information relating to these benefits is not available for individual constituencies.

Mrs. Ray Michie

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the number of people in Scotland receiving (a) retirement pension, (b) widow's benefit, including death benefit, (c) invalidity benefit, (d) invalid care allowance, (e) severe disablement allowance, (f) unemployability supplement and (g) child benefit; how many of those in (a) to (f) also receive child benefit; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Scott

The table shows the latest available figures:

Benefit Number receiving in Scotland Date to which information relates
Retirement Pension 809,490 30 September 1990
Widows Benefit 38,510 31 March 1990
Invalidity Benefit 169,300 31 March 1990
Severe Disablement Allowance 33,600 31 March 1990
Child Benefit 609,000 21 February 1991

Widow's payment, which is a lump sum payment of £1,000, may be payable for those women who were widowed after April 1988. Information relating to the number of widows receiving a widow's payment is not available for Scotland.

Information relating to the number of people receiving invalid care allowance and unemployability supplement is not available for Scotland.

Information relating to the number of benefit recipients also receiving child benefit is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Ralph Howell

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the total amount paid out in state benefits, including mortgage interest relief, to people earning more than(a) the national average wage and (b) two thirds of national average wage at the latest date for which figures are available.

Mr. Jack

The latest available information on benefit payments is for 1987; the closest corresponding period for which information on mortgage tax relief is available is the financial year 1987–88. On this basis, the estimated benefit payments to family units with total gross earnings of more than the specified levels, based on average male earnings, were:

  1. (a) about £6.7 billion;
  2. (b) about £9.7 billion.

Child benefit represents around two thirds of those benefit payments.