HC Deb 28 October 1992 vol 212 cc737-9W
Mr. Hinchliffe

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has for the number of persons seeking employment and not entitled to unemployment benefits in each month during 1990–91 and 1991–92.

Mr. Burt

The table shows the Employment Department's seasonally adjusted Great Britain unemployment figures for each month of the financial years 1990–91 and 1991–92, together with the numbers of unemployed claimants for each quarter receiving neither unemployment benefit nor income support.

Month Unemployed Persons Thousands (Seasonally Adjusted) Unemployed Claimants receiving neither Unemployment Benefit nor Income Support Thousands (See note)
1990/91
April 1,498
May 1,503 220
June 1,514
July 1,527
August 1,556 253
September 1,585
October 1,628
November 1,681 246
December 1,756
January 1,796
February 1,888 295
March 1,990
1991/92
April 2,067
May 2,133 280
June 2,193
July 2,262
August 2,321 302
September 2,356
October 2,375
November 2,415 301
December 2,448
January 2,503
February 2,541 328
March 2,548

Note:

Source is the Quarterly Analysis of Unemployed Claimants.

The figures include some persons who had claimed benefit but whose entitlement had not been established on the day of the count.

No details are available of the numbers of job seekers who do not register unemployed, or of their entitlement to unemployment benefit.

Mr. Hinchliffe

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the total numbers of(a) unemployed job seekers eligible to claim unemployment benefit and (b) persons seeking employment in each year since 1979–80.

Mr. Burt

The table shows the Employment Department's seasonally adjusted GB unemployment figures for each of the financial years from 1979 to 1991 together with the average numbers of persons receiving unemployment benefit:

Financial year Recipients of unemployment benefit Thousands1 Unemployed persons (seasonally adjusted) Thousands
1979–80 480 1,019
1980–81 858 1,501
1981–82 2 2,210
1982–83 987 2,518
1983–84 940 2,715
1984–85 2 2,840
1985–86 2 2,935
1986–87 923 2,950
1987–88 733 2,555
1988–89 540 2,030
1989–90 329 1,599
1990–91 358 1,660

1 Source: Quarterly analysis of unemployed claimants.

2 Data for more than one quarter not available due to industrial action in these years.

No details are available of the numbers of job seekers who do not register unemployed or whether they are eligible for unemployment benefit.

Mr. Hinchliffe

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what were the administrative costs for paying out national insurance unemployment benefits for each year since 1987–88;

(2) what were the administrative costs for paying out social security benefits to unemployed families during each year since 1987–88.

Mr. Burt

Details of the administrative costs of social security benefits, of which unemployed families may be in receipt are not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

The administrative costs of paying unemployment benefit for the years 1987–88 to 1990–91, the latest year for which figures are available, are as follows:

£ million
1987–88 166
1988–89 172
1989–90 176
1990–91 182