§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much has been spent on advertising family credit in each year since 1988–89; and what is the expected expenditure in 1990–91 and 1991–92.
§ Mr. JackThe information is as follows:
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£ 1988–89 3,061,000 1989–90 5,835,000 1990–91 13,894,000 1991–92 23,000,000 1 This includes £1.5 million for the current TV advertising campaign drawing the attention of 6.8 million families to the personalised message about family credit which now appears in child benefit order books. This tells the family that they may be able to get family credit if their income is less than the figure quoted in the message which is individual to that family.
2 Expected.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many family credit awards were current, and
Number of family credit awards current at end of month1 Caseload (including backdated awards) as at end of month Employees Self-employed Total April 1989 251,897 235,820 43,160 278,980 May 1989 235,751 255,420 44,620 300,040 June 1989 263,480 263,200 45,520 308,720 July 1989 275,414 268,140 45,080 313,220 August 1989 281,734 269,100 44,440 313,540 September 1989 288,631 273,560 44,700 318,260 October 1989 278,122 268,880 43,660 312,540 November 1989 274,194 257,660 43,080 300,740 December 1989 263,135 249,760 41,340 291,100 January 1990 265,548 255,300 44,100 299,400 February 1990 278,392 261,960 44,860 306,820 March 1990 281,559 263,360 45,920 309,280 April 1990 280,898 267,240 46,760 314,000 May 1990 268,933 267,940 47,260 315,200 June 1990 275,250 272,360 47,480 319,840 July 1990 279,856 277,620 48,200 325,820 August 1990 281,414 — — 2324,000 September 1990 282,019 — — 2326,000 October 1990 280,744 — — 2326,000 November 1990 293,343 — — 2324,000 December 1990 284,429 — — 3 January 1991 281,250 — — 3 February 1991 288,924 — — 3 1 A breakdown between employees and self-employed is not available. 2 Provisional totals: no breakdown between employers and employed at this stage. 3 Meaningful figures not yet available because of claims not yet decided.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the latest information he has as to the number of employees and self-employed people, respectively, who are eligible for family credit; and whether he will arrange a special examination of 1989 and 1990 family expenditure survey returns, similar to that carried out on the 1988 return.
§ Mr. JackThe latest information about the number of families eligible for family credit is from the special examination of family expenditure survey returns for 1988. This showed that the total eligible population of employees at that time was about 500,000. Reliable estimates of the number of self-employed who are eligible are not possible from family expenditure survey data. It is clear from administrative information and other research that families are moving into and out of eligibility for family credit all the time, so that the composition of the eligible population is constantly changing.
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Claims registered Decisions made which resulted in an award of family credit Number Percentage of all decisions Date New Renewal Total New Renewal New Renewal May 1989 94,900 30,162 125,062 20,484 18,703 35.4 86.7 June 1989 79,906 35,340 115,246 39,721 34,057 40.0 86.5 July 1989 41,671 25,639 66,948 26,599 23,405 47.8 86.5 August 1989 37,059 25,639 62,698 23,675 24,483 51.4 86.5 September 1989 47,534 33,110 80,644 25,696 28,802 51.6 86.7 October 1989 39,629 40,729 80,358 21,693 28,817 53.0 84.0 November 1989 45,523 36,790 82,313 21,497 33,580 51.6 82.2 December 1989 42,890 28,054 70,944 18,687 25,007 47.2 81.4 January 1990 43,471 35,301 78,772 20,701 29,524 46.6 82.4 February 1990 46,288 29,824 76,112 23,680 28,092 50.9 83.9 what was the caseload including backdated awards at the end of each month since April 1989, for employees and self-employed people, respectively.
§ Mr. JackThe available information is as follows:
The special examination of the 1988 family expenditure survey returns, which cost over £10,000, was undertaken in early 1989 because we were considering a major advertising campaign. The actual size of the eligible population at any one time is therefore only one, albeit important, factor which needs to be considered. We have no plans to arrange a special examination of family expenditure survey returns for 1989 and 1990.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many(a) new claims and (b) renewal claims for family credit were made in each month since April 1989; and how many and what percentage were successful, distinguishing, for both new and renewal claims, between those made by employees and those made by self-employed people.
§ Mr. JackThe available information is as follows:
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Claims registered Decisions made which resulted in an award of family credit Number Percentage of all decisions Date New Renewal Total New Renewal New Renewal March 1990 50,906 39,025 89,931 26,273 31,688 50.5 85.4 April 1990 41,118 35,568 76,686 18,225 24,569 52.2 88.3 May 1990 50,119 43,033 93,152 24,279 34,919 55.0 88.4 June 1990 43,528 26,937 70,465 20,622 26,199 53.8 87.7 July 1990 45,967 29,357 75,324 24,536 27,574 53.0 87.0 August 1990 53,147 39,596 92,531 24,905 29,122 52.5 86.0 September 1990 42,702 34,328 76,546 20,362 25,680 50.5 84.3 October 1990 41,590 40,269 81,625 24,196 33,652 53.4 83.8 November 1990 50,339 47,119 97,458 31,208 46,533 54.9 84.3 December 1990 21,479 21,486 42,965 13,214 19,702 54.5 85.0 January 1991 27,541 41,158 40,405 17,442 31,130 50.6 84.1 February 1991 47,350 34,148 81,498 21,749 31,972 52.4 85.0 Note:
1. The figures are for the four or five weeks ending on the last Friday of each month.
2. Separate information for employees and self-employed people is only available at disproportionate cost either for claims or for decisions made.