§ Mr. Johnasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what savings would result from restricting entitlement to (i) single payments and (ii) additional requirements to people who had been in receipt of supplementary benefit for (a) more than four weeks, (b) more than eight weeks, (c) more than three months, (d) more than six months and (e) more than a year.
§ .Dr BoysonEstimated benefit savings of about the following amounts could be made by restricting single payments and additional requirements to claimants who have been receiving supplementary benefit for the periods mentioned. In the case of additional requirements there would be some off-setting administrative cost.
Estimated annual savings (£ million) Payments restricted to claimants in receipt of supplementary benefit for Single payments Additional requirements More than 4 weeks 1 16 More than 8 weeks 3 26 More than 3 months 4 29 More than 6 months 10 55 More than a year 20 90
§ Mr. Johnasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate, for the latest date for which figures are available, the number and proportion of supplementary benefit claimants who had been in receipt of benefit (a) for less than four weeks, (b) for between four 35W weeks and eight weeks, (c) for between eight weeks and three months, (d) for between three months and six months and (e) for between six months and a year.
§ .Dr BoysonThe information requested is as follows:
Length of time in receipt of supplementary benefit Number of claimants Proportion (per cent.) Less than 4 weeks 177,000 4.2 4 to 8 weeks 202,000 4.7 8 weeks to 3 months 227,000 5.3 3 months to 6 months 395,000 9.2 6 months to 1 year 490,000 11.5 SourceAnnual Statistical Enquiry, December 1982.
§ Mr. Lesterasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many unemployed under the age of 25 years are in receipt of (a) only supplementary benefit, (b) only unemployment benefit and (c) both supplementary benefit and unemployment benefit; and in each case (i) how many have dependent children, (ii) how many have been unemployed for over a year and (iii) how many have dependent children and have been unemployed for more than one year.
§ .Dr BoysonThe information requested is given in the following table:
Supplementary benefit*only Unemployment benefit only Supplementary and unemployment benefit Under 25 years 682,000 264,000 62,000 Under 25 years with dependent children 42,000 3,000 11,000 Under 25 years unemployed for over a year 218,000 3,000 1,000 Under 25 years with dependent children and unemployed for over a year 29,000 not available not available * These figures are taken from statistics compiled in December 1982. All other figures come from statistics compiled from November 1982.