§ Mr. RogersTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people are currently receiving invalidity benefit in the Rhondda benefit district; what percentage this is of the total population of working age; and what are the average percentages for(a) Wales and (b) England and Wales. [17506]
§ Mr. BurtThe information is not available in the format requested. The available information is as follows:
78WThere were 32,814 people in receipt of incapacity benefit at the short-term—higher—and long-term rates in the Mid Glamorgan district of the Benefits Agency at 31 January 1996.
Notes:
1. Incapacity benefit replaced sickness and invalidity benefit on 13 April 1995.
2. Figure obtained from a 100 per cent. clerical count of cases in Benefit Agency offices.
3. The Mid Glamorgan district includes the following branch offices: Porth, Pontypridd, Tonypandy, Aberdare and Bridgend.
People in receipt of Invalidity Benefit on 2 April 1994 by country and percentage of working population Country People in receipt of invalidity benefit Percentage of the working population Wales 181,000 10 England 1,265,000 4 England and Wales 1,446,000 5 1 The working population has been taken to be 16 to 64 for men and 16 to 59 for women. 2 Invalidity benefit information based on a 1 per cent, sample of claimants, rounded to the nearest thousand at 2 April 1994. 3 Estimated mid-year 1994 population figures supplied by OPCS publication, "Population Trends".