HC Deb 12 November 1996 vol 285 cc194-5W
20. Sir Fergus Montgomery

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the provision of child benefit. [1717]

Mr. Andrew Mitchell

We have a manifesto commitment to pay child benefit to all families in respect of all children, and we have honoured that pledge. We believe that all families with dependent children should receive some help from either the tax or the benefit system, a principle recognised throughout Europe.

Mr. Bernard Jenkin

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security in respect of how many children new claims for child benefit were made in each of the past 15 years; how many child benefit claims were disallowed in each of the past 15 years; and what was the estimated take-up of child benefit in each of the past 15 years. [3390]

Mr. Mitchell

The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table.

Child benefit take-up rates 1981–1994
1Take-up rate for children aged 1–15 2Take-up rate for children under age 1
1981 99.7 97.9
1982 99.6 97.5
1983 99.7 97.0
1984 99.7 98.3
1985 99.7 97.0
1986 99.5 97.8
1987 99.5 97.8
1988 99.3 96.6
1989 99.1 96.9
1990 98.9 97.5
1991 98.8 96.9
1992 98.9 96.1
1993 98.8 97.3
1994 98.7 95.1
1Rates calculated from population data, Office for National Statistics.
2Figures for children under age I reflect an average delay in claiming of six weeks and is not therefore inconsistent with the 1–15 take-up rate.
New claims for child benefit (CHB) 1980 to 1995
Thousands
Total of new claims for CHB in each year
1980 1,093
1981 968
1982 1,020
1983 1,009
1985 1,003
1986 1,022
1987 1,033
1988 1,041
1989 997
1990 1,062
1991 1,063
1992 1,025
New claims for child benefit (CHB) 1980 to 1995
Thousands
Total of new claims for CHB in each year
1993 1,000
1994 992
1995 981
  1. 1. Data are not available for 1984 due to industrial action in that year.
  2. 2. The figures include claims made on the birth of a child, claims from families entering Great Britain and repeat claims following a period of disentitlement.