§ Mr. Alex CarlileTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many sickness benefit claimants there have been in each year since 1979; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. ScottSuch information as is available is in the table. It is based on a 1 per cent. sample of claimants at a point in time in each year.
(i) Date (ii) Sickness Benefitclaimants1 2 (iii) Sickness Benefitbeneficiaries1 2 June 1979 488,000 430,000 31 May 1980 450,000 384,000 30 May 1981 410,000 352,000 29 May 1982 469,000 393,000 2 April 1983 408,000 338,000 31 March 1984 247,000 190,000 30 March 1985 225,000 180,000 5 April 1986 237,000 179,000 4 April 1987 187,000 110,000 2 April 1988 228,000 117,000 1 April 1989 266,000 109,000 31 March 1990 309,000 103,000 30 March 1991 372,000 110,000 Notes:
1 Statutory sick pay introduced from 6 April 1993 for a maximum eight weeks sickness absence in a tax year. From 6 April 1986 statutory sick pay was payable for up to 28 weeks in any one period of incapacity for work.
2 Includes claimants who are not entitled to sickness benefit, but receive national insurance credits.