§ 9691. Mr. Gordon Brownasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) using the assumptions in paragraph 2.4 of the technical annex to the White Paper, "Reform of Social Security" (Cmnd. 9691), how many claimants who currently receive supplementary benefit will receive no help under the new income support scheme;
(2) using the assumptions in paragraph 2.4 of the West technical annex to the White Paper, "Reform of Social Security" (Cmnd. 9691), how many claimants who now receive housing benefit will receive no help under the new income support scheme;
(3) 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 West receive family income supplement will not be entitled to family credit;
§ Mr. Meacherasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people will lose all benefit under the White Paper structural reforms taking 20 per cent. rates contribution into account; what is their client group and family status.
§ Mr. Newton[pursuant to his replies, 19 December 1985, c. 318, 20 December, c. 434 and 15 January c. 596]: Using the illustrative assumptions in the technical annex to the White Paper, the information is as follows:
Decreases in the number receiving income-related benefits ('000 rounded to 10,000) Housing benefit Supplementary benefit/income support Client group Pensioners age 80+ 20 10 Pensioners age 60–79 290 60 Sick or disabled 10 * Lone parent 70 * Couples with children: —in full-time work 260 — —not in full-time work 10 * Others: —in full-time work 100 — —not in full-time work 50 20 Total 820 90 Family status Pensioners: —single 130 30 —couples 180 40 Non-pensioners with children: —lone parents 70 * —couples 280 * Non-pensioners without children —single age 25† 90 10 —single age 25 20 10 —couples 50 10 Total 820 90 *Under 5,000.
705WThe figures in the table do not show the net effects of the changes. They take no account of the people —broadly estimated to number more than 150,000—not now getting supplementary benefit who will qualify for income support, nor of the number—broadly estimated to be rather under 50,000—not now receiving housing benefit who would do so under the new arrangements. Nor do they take account of the fact that, in the case of working families with children, loss of entitlement to housing 706W benefit would often arise because of increased income through the proposed family credit, and would be more than offset by the increased entitlement in that respect.
The number of familieé now getting family income supplement (FIS) who would not receive family credit is so small — probably under 1,000 — that no reliable estimate is possible. We expect family credit to help about twice as many families as now receive FIS.