§ Mr. Frank FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security pursuant to his answer of 13 February to the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy (Mr. Llwyd),Official Report, column 536, how many of those receiving invalidity benefit in Great Britain in 1993 (a) are single people and (b) have partners.
§ Mr. HagueThe information is not available in the form requested.
On average, in the years 1991 to 1993, 30 per cent. of invalidity benefit recipients were single, and 70 per cent had partners.
Source:
1991, 1992 and 1993 family expenditure surveys.
§ Mr. Frank FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claimants since the advent of statutory sick pay have been refused invalidity benefit on the basis that they would not have otherwise qualified for the national insurance sickness benefit; if he will divide these totals down into men and women claimants; what were the main causes of the failure of claimants to have full contribution records; and how many nevertheless gained full statutory sick pay.
§ Mr. Hague[holding answer Monday 13 February 1995]The available information for the last five years is shown in the table below. Earlier figures can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Sickness benefit spells commencing in the period where 28 weeks statutory sick pay has previously been paid and the contribution conditions not satisfied Period Men Women 4 April 1988 to 1 April 1989 1,000 3,000 3 April 1989 to 31 March 1990 1,000 4,000 2 April 1990 to 30 March 1991 2,000 5,000 1 April 1991 to 4 April 1992 1,000 3,000 6 April 1992 to 3 April 1993 1— 3,000 Notes:
1. If after 28 weeks statutory sick pay has been paid and the contribution condition is not satisfied, the claimant is not entitled to invalidity benefit and the spell becomes a sickness benefit spell.
2. The information is based on a I per cent. sample of claimants to benefit within Great Britain, rounded to the nearest thousand.
1Sample insufficient size to provide a figure.
551WInformation on the reasons for claimants' failure to have full contribution records is not available.