§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the change in the number of single parents dependent on state benefits since 1979. [1243]
§ Mr. Andrew MitchellThe information is in the table.
Number of lone parent recipients1 Benefit2 1979 1995 Supplementary benefit—income support3 306,000 1,061,000 Family income supplement—family credit4 42,000 290,000 Rent allowance—housing benefit5 n/a6 894,000 Rate rebate—council tax benefit5 n/a6 959,000 Notes
1 All figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand.
2There may be a small overlap between income support and family credit, but this would not be significant. There are considerable overlaps between housing benefit and council tax benefit and between these benefits and both income support and family credit.
3 Supplementary benefit was replaced by income support in April 1988.
4 Family income supplement was replaced by family credit in April 1988.
5 For the purposes of income support, housing benefit and council tax benefit, lone parents have been identified as those awarded the lone parent premium in the assessment of benefit.
458W6 Housing benefit and council tax benefit were not in payment in 1979. There is no information on the number receiving help through income-related rent allowances and rates rebates.
It should be noted that the figures for each year cannot be totalled because more than one benefit may be in payment at the same time.
Sources
- 1. Supplementary benefit annual statistical inquiry—November 1979.
- 2. Income support quarterly statistical inquiry—November 1995.
- 3. Social security statistics 1980.
- 4. Family credit 5 per cent. sample of all awards.
- 5. Housing benefit management information system, annual I per cent. sample inquiries, with and without income support, taken at the end of May 1995.
The growth in the number of lone parents dependent on state benefits largely reflects the increase in the lone parent population. The Government's strategy has been to improve systematically work incentives, and the success of this strategy has been confirmed by independent research. The growth in the number of lone parents on income support has slowed since 1992, while the number in work and on family credit continues to grow steadily. Latest figures show that there are now around three lone parents working and receiving family credit for every 10 on income support, compared with just over one for every 10 in 1979. This is despite continuing growth in the number with young children.
We have also recently announced that a major new scheme-parent plus-will be piloted from April 1997. This scheme will offer advice and help to up to 100,000 lone parents on income support who wish to get back into work. Different approaches will be tested to establish which is most cost effective.
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