§ Mr. Peter Bottomleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many children were living in families where the head was unemployed and in receipt of unemployment benefit and/or supplementary benefit at the latest available date; and if he will provide comparable figures for the previous five years.
§ Mr. NewtonThe information available relates to the number of children for whom a dependency increase of unemployment benefit was being paid or who were included in the calculations of the requirements of an unemployed person getting supplementary allowance, at the date when a count was made. The latest available figure for May 1982, is about 1,050,000. The figures that are available for the previous five years are as follows:
488W
Year Number of Children November 1977 about 650,000 November 1978 about 550,000
Year Number of Children November 1979 about 450,000 November/December 1980 about 700,000 December 1981/February 1982 about 1,000,000 Sources:
- 1. 5 per cent. sample of unemployed claimants in November each year to 1980, in February 1982, as figures are not available for November 1981, and in May 1982:
- 2. 2 per cent. sample of unemployed supplementary benefit claimants from the annual Statistical Enquiry in November or December each year to 1981:
- 3. 1 per cent. sample of unemployed supplementary benefit claimants from the Quarterly Enquiry in May 1982.
§ Mr. Fieldasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will update the information given to the hon. Member For Birkenhead on 21 May 1981,Official Report, c. 162, on disqualification from unemployment benefit.
§ Mr. RossiThe 1981 totals of claimants who were disqualified from unemployment benefit for the reasons stated are as follows:
Number Left unemployment without just case 241,100 Refusal of suitable employment 4,100