HC Deb 20 December 1985 vol 89 cc434-5W
Mr. Gordon Brown

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, using the assumptions in paragraph 2.4 of the technical appendix to the White Paper—"Reform of Social Security" (Cmnd. 9691), how many claimants who now receive family income supplement will not be entitled to family credit.

Mr. Newton

I shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.

Mr. Meacher

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if the White Paper proposals on the reform of social security exclude 16 and 17-year-olds from receipt of a personal allowance in their own right and allow for their parents only to claim a child allowance for them if they are unemployed.

Mr. Newton

Sixteen and 17-year-old non-dependants will be entitled to income support at the same rate of personal allowance as 16 and 17-year-old dependent children.

Mr. Meacher

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many, nationally and for each social security region, of (a) 16-year-olds and (b) 17-year-olds are in receipt of supplementary benefit for the latest available year; and how many (i) live in their parents' household and (ii) live independently; and how many of them have (1) claimant parents and (2) non-claimant parents.

Mr. Newton

In December 1983—the latest available figures—there were 56,000 16-year-olds and 119,000 17-year-olds in receipt of supplementary benefit nationally. Of these, an estimated 1,000 16-year-olds and 7,000 17-year-olds were householders. No further information about the status of the remaining claimants or their parents is available.

Estimates of the number of 16 and 17-year-old claimants can be provided for each social security region but this information is not immediately available.

I will let the hon. Member have a further reply when these figures are to hand.

Mr. Kirkwood

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, out of all the responses to the Green Paper, "Reform of Social Security", how many gave positive support to the proposal for a lower rate of supplementary benefit for under-25s; and which they were.

Mr. Newton

[pursuant to his reply, 16 December 1985, c. 84]: The responses are not generally in a form which can sensibly be used to provide a simple breakdown of numbers for or against this proposal. However, paragraphs 3.10 to 3.14 in the White Paper, "Reform of Social Security" (Cmnd. 9691), published on Monday, gives the important points made about it and the Government's conclusions, including the proposal that all couples aged 18 or over should receive the same personal allowance.