HL Deb 18 January 1993 vol 541 cc66-7WA
Earl Russell

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to Mr. Burt's Written Answer of 30th November (H.C. Deb., col. WA72), whether they know, or will attempt to discover, how many recipients of Income Support are subject to deductions amounting cumulatively to more than 15 per cent. of their benefit.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Social Security (Lord Henley)

The total number of Income Support recipients who have deductions amounting cumulatively to more than 15 per cent of their income (ie. their weekly Income Support entitlement plus all other social security benefits and any other income taken into account in the recipient's assessment) is 177,000. To base the calculation on the amount of Income Support alone, without taking into account other income, would provide a misleading result.

Source:

Income Support Statistical Annual Enquiry, May 1991.

Notes:

1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand.

2. The figure for deductions used in the calculations is the sum of all deductions, whether for current charges or arrears, made for direct payments for fuel, community charge, rent, water/sewerage, mortgage interest, other housing costs, hostel charges, residential care and nursing home charges, recovery of overpayments and Social Fund repayments.

3. Benefits that were disregarded in the recipient's assessment have also been disregarded in these calculations.

4. Voluntary unemployment has not been counted in the calculations as it is considered as a reduction in benefit rather than a deduction from benefit.

Earl Russell

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to Mr. Burt's Written Answer of 30th November (H.C. Deb., col. WA72), how many recipients of Income Support are having deductions made from their benefit (a) for payment of court fines; (b) for rent or other arrears; (c) for water charges; and (d) for failure to attend a Restart course.

Lord Henley

On 30 November 1992 the total number of people in receipt of Income Support who had deductions from their benefit for (a) court fines, (b) rent arrears and (c) water charges was as follows:

Number
(a) Court fines 170
(b) Rent arrears 142,303
(c) Water charges 163,238

Note: The figures used are based on management information statistics collected by the Benefits Agency on 30th November 1992. These figures are provisional and may be subject to amendment.

During the month of November 1992, 362 people had a reduction in their Income Support for failure to attend a Restart course.