HC Deb 10 January 1996 vol 269 cc266-9W
Mr. Cousins

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many(a) 16 and 17-year-olds and (b) 18 to 24-year-olds in each standard region currently claim (i) income support, (ii) income support with penalty deductions and (iii) bridging allowance do not receive any income from work, training or benefits; if he will distinguish between economically active and economically inactive claimants; and if he will provide this information for the summer quarter from 1992 to 1995. [4316]

Mr. Roger Evans

The available information is in the tables. The income support figures requested are not available for summer 1992 or summer 1995; figures for May 1992 and February 1995, the latest figures are given instead.

The regional breakdown of bridging allowance recipients is not currently available.

The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is set out in the tables.

Income support claimants by GSS region: May 1992–February 1995
Income support recipients August 1993
All with Income Support
16–17 18–24
Region All cases Economically active Not Economically active All cases Economically active Not Economically active Of which 18–24 year with VU reduction1
Yorkshire and Humberside 4,000 1,000 2,000 105,000 64,000 41,000
East Midlands 2,000 1,000 2,000 70,000 46,000 24,000
East Anglia 1,000 1,000 1,000 29,000 19,000 10,000
South west 2,000 1,000 2,000 70,000 49,000 22,000
West midlands 3,000 1,000 2,000 112,000 72,000 40,000
North west 4,000 1,000 3,000 151,000 90,000 61,000
Great Britain 36,000 12,000 23,000 1,088,000 693,000 396,000 10,000

Income support claimants by GSS region: May 1992–February 1995
Income support recipients August 1994
All with Income Support
16–17 18–24
Region All cases Economically active Not Economically active All cases Economically active Not Economically active Of which 18– 24 year with VU reduction
South East (ex London) 5,000 2,000 3,000 129,000 85,000 44,000 4,000
London (inner and outer) 3,000 1,000 2,000 147,000 95,000 52,000 2,000
North 2,000 1,000 67,000 39,000 27,000 1,000
Wales 2,000 1,000 88,000 33,000 25,000 1,000
Scotland 5,000 1,000 3,000 97,000 58,000 39,000 2,000
Yorkshire and Humberside 4,000 1,000 3,000 96,000 58,000 38,000 2,000
East Midlands 2,000 2,000 88,000 42,000 24,000 2,000
East Anglia 1,000 1,000 27,000 16,000 10,000 1,000
South West 3,000 1,000 2,000 62,000 41,000 21,000 2,000
West Midlands 3,000 3,000 99,000 63,000 36,000 2,000
North West 4,000 1,000 3,000 136,000 79,000 57,000 2,000
Great Britain 31,000 7,000 24,000 983,000 808,000 375,000 21,000

Income support claimants by GSS region: May 1992–February 1995
Income support recipients February 1995
All with Income Support
16–17 18–24
Region All cases Economically active Not Economically active All cases Economically active Not Economically active Of which 18– 24 year with VU reduction
Great Britain 41,000 15,000 27,000 916,000 635,000 361,000 19.000

Notes:

1 1 per cent. data used.

1. All figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand.

2."—" denotes nil or negligible.

3. Government Standard Statistical Regions have been used. No breakdown by GSS region is available for February 1995.

4. Economically active has been defined as those persons in the unemployed statistical groups "E/EF".

5. Claimants with a deduction for voluntary unemployment are also included in the all cases total. There are no 16 and 17 year olds with this deduction.

6. Figures for Sumner 1992 + 1995 are not available. Figures for May 1992 + February 1995 are given instead.

7. 16 and 17 years olds have been processed on ISCS since January 1995 and this had up to an estimated six thousand cases due to improved data collection methods.

8. VU = Voluntary Unemployment Deduction.

Sources:

Income Support Statistics Annual Enquiry May 1992.

Income Support Statistics Quarterly Enquiries August 1993 and August 1994.

Income Support Statistics Quarterly Enquiry February 1995.

Young people receiving bridging allowance
Year of registration (for period June to September) Number of young people registered
1992 40,004
1993 28,132
1994 20,548
1995 18,258

Note:

1. The figures will include some young people of 18 and over. Their numbers are very small and the Employment Service does not have a record of the figure.

Mr. Thurnham

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many new claims for income support have been made by single mothers in each year since the introduction of the Child Support Bill; and if he will make a statement. [7228]

Mr. Evans

The available information is set out in the table:

Year Number of new awards
1992–93 283,000
1993–94 271,000
1994–95 262,000

Notes:

1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand.

2. The years represented above are for the periods commencing May to February.

3. The number of awards has been estimated by looking at new lone parent family cases which appear in each of the four quarterly inquiries of each yearly period. However, no account has been taken of claims which start and end between inquiry dates.

4. Estimates cannot be made prior to May 1992 as the data are not available in the form required.