§ Mr. Corbynasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the numbers of claimants at the Finsbury Park and Archway offices of his Department in receipt of (a) supplementary benefit and (b) single payments for furniture in September of each year since 1979.
§ Mr. MajorThe table shows the number of claimants receiving supplementary benefit from the Department's offices at Finsbury Park and Archway on 30 July 1985—the latest available figures—and at comparative dates in each of the preceding five years. Figures for 1979 are not now available.
Finsbury Park Archway (Highgate) 1980 10,143 11,775 1981 12,859 13,981 1982 15,215 16,679 1983 15,929 16,276 1984 17,507 17,072 1985 18,023 18,332 Source 100 per cent. count of cases in action.
Information is not available from which reliable estimates could be made of the number of single payments made for furniture by individual offices for any period. Statistics are collected monthly on the total number of all single payments made by each office and although later information for these offices is available, for comparison purposes details of awards of all single payments for the 4 week period ending 30 July 1985 and of the same periods in the preceding five years are given as follows:
Finsbury Park Archway (Highgate) 1980 245 242 1981 175 178 1982 224 167 1983 342 236 1984 324 348 1985 723 481 Figures for 1979 are not now available.
Note: Since April 1984 the basis of counting single payment awards has changed. Now unsuccessful claims and separate payments made simultaneously to the same beneficiary but under different single payment regulations are also included.