Incapacity Benefit (Hansard, 25 March 2002)

§ Mr. Nicholas Brown

[holding answer 20 March 2002]: We are undertaking a fundamental overhaul of the welfare system, transforming it from a passive organisation paying out benefits to an active system that fights poverty, creates opportunity and helps people become self-sufficient and independent.

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Our new Jobcentre Plus service ensures that people making new or repeat claims to incapacity benefit have the opportunity of work-focused advice and support from a personal adviser so they can be helped to move into work when they are ready to do so.

The available information is in the table.

	Number of people unemployed	Number of people claiming incapacity benefit
May 1997	1,556,000	2,370,500
May 1998	1,293,000	2,316,900
May 1999	1,221,100	2,277,500
May 2000	1,063,700	2,263,200
May 2001	935,700	2,327,000

Notes:

1. All figures are rounded to the nearest hundred. Incapacity benefit data are collected quarterly in May, August, November and February of each year.

2. Incapacity benefit figures include national insurance credits only cases.

3. From 13 April 1995 people of pension age were no longer able to claim incapacity benefit. Incapacity benefit recipients already over pension age could continue to receive incapacity benefit for up to five years after state pension age.

4. Unemployment figures have been seasonally adjusted.

5. Figures are for Great Britain.

Sources:

1. Office for National Statistics: count of claimants of unemployment-related benefits from Benefits Agency computer systems.

2. Incapacity benefit figures are taken from 5 per cent. samples of the incapacity benefit computer system and exclude a small number of cases held clerically.

Information on the number of people who have returned to full-time employment following a claim to incapacity benefit is not available.