HC Deb 24 May 2002 vol 386 cc655-7W
David Hamilton

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners are in receipt of the minimum income guarantee in(a) Scotland and (b) Midlothian. [58563]

Mr. McCartney

As at February 2002, there were 181,000 MIG recipients in Scotland and of these there were 1600 recipients in the parliamentary constituency of Midlothian.

Source:

Income Support Statistics Quarterly Enquiry, February 2002.

Mr. Woodward

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pensioners in(a) St Helens, South, (b) St Helens MBC area, (c) Merseyside, (d) the North West and (e) England are eligible to claim the minimum income guarantee. [44717]

Mr. Nicholas Brown

[pursuant to his answer, 26 March 2002, c. 997–99]Estimates of the number of people eligible for the Minimum Income Guarantee are not available below National level. Figures for the number of pensioners who may be entitled to but are not receiving the MIG are contained in the publication, "Take Up of Income Related Benefits: Statistics for 1999–2000."

The figures in the report pre-date the MIG take up campaign in May 2000 which, up to the end of January 2002 has resulted in 128, 163 additional successful claims—pensioners are on average £20 a week better off as a result.

The table below shows the number of MIG recipients as at November 2001, by area:

Area Number of MIG claimants
St Helens South Parliamentary Constituency 3,200
St Helens MBC 6,300
Merseyside 61,800
North West GOR 245,400
England 1,459,200

Source:

Income Support Statistics Quarterly Enquiry November 2001.