§ 23. Mr. David MartinTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the latest figure for the number of families benefiting from family credit; and what was the number of benefiting from the predecessor scheme in 1978–79.
§ Mr. JackI refer my hon. Friend to the reply given earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Hexham (Mr. Amos).
§ Mr. BattleTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many families in(a) west Leeds, (b) Leeds, (c) West Yorkshire and (d) England are in receipt of family credit; and what proportion these families represent of those estimated to be entitled to this benefit.
§ Mr. JackThe only figures available for Leeds, west Leeds and West Yorkshire are for the number of families actually in receipt of family credit on a particular day. They do not include those who had claimed by that date but whose claim had not yet been decided. On 8 February 1991, the latest date for which these figures are available, the number of families who, at the date of their award, were living in the places listed, were as follows:
Number (a) West Leeds 13,005 (b) Leeds 24,826 (c) West Yorkshire 316,557 1 The total in the area covered by the Leeds west, Leeds north west and Leeds north local social security offices. 2 The total in the area covered by all the local social security offices in Leeds. 3 The total in the area covered by all the local social security offices in West Yorkshire. For England as a whole, a true caseload figure is available which includes awards covering the given date but not made till later. At 31 July 1990, the latest date for which this figure is available, the caseload for England was 264,000.
Information about the total number of families eligible for family credit can be obtained only for Great Britain as a whole, and only retrospectively, from family expenditure survey data.