Income Support

HC Deb 14 June 2004 vol 422 cc726-7W

Mr. Oaten

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of women claiming income support. [178228]

Mr. Pond

The number of women claiming income support (as a single person or on behalf of a couple) in Great Britain at November 2003 was 1,393,700. There were an additional 214,000 income support benefit units where there was a male claimant and a female partner.

Notes:

1. Figures are based on a 5 per cent. sample and are therefore subject to sampling variation.

2. Figures have been rounded to the neatest hundred.

3. Excludes pension credit cases.