HC Deb 27 January 1988 vol 126 cc269-71W
Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the criteria used by his Department's adjudication officers in establishing whether an unmarried claimant is living as husband or wife.

Mr. Portillo

Guidance for adjudication officers on the interpretation of social security legislation is given by the office of the chief adjudication officer, which is independent of the Department.

Guidance from the office of the chief adjudication officer to adjudication officers gives the following criteria to be considered when establishing whether an unmarried claimant is living as husband or wife:

  1. 1. Membership of the same household;
  2. 2. Stability of relationship;
  3. 3. Financial support;
  4. 4. Sexual relationship;
  5. 5. Children;
  6. 6. Public acknowledgement.

For adjudication officers considering the question of living together as husband and wife in connection with a claim to supplementary benefit this guidance is in the S Manual (S2501-S3000), which is published and available to the public. Similar guidance for adjudication officers dealing with the question in connection with a claim for a national insurance benefit is contained in the insurance officer's guide. This code is' not published but a copy is held in the Library.

From April 1988 guidance for adjudication officers for all social security benefits will be contained in the adjudication officer's guide, which will replace existing material and will be published before 11 April.

In addition to the guidance issued to adjudication officers by the office of the chief adjudication officer, the Department also publishes a leaflet for the public which lists the criteria used by adjudication officers when considering the question of living together: Leaflet N1247, "Social Security: Living together as husband and wife", which is available from local social security offices.

Mr. Meacher

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people, shown by age and marital status, are in receipt of the long-term rate of supplementary benefit for the latest date and for equivalent dates in each of the past 10 years.

Mr. Portillo

[holding answer 9 December 1987]: The available information is shown in the tables. Table one shows the numbers of those who are claiming supplementary benefit as single people; table two shows the numbers of those who are claiming for a partner.

Year 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1986
35–39 34,597 44,394 53,767 58,492 66,854 70,034 85,823
40–44 32,444 35,093 34,028 39,050 42,633 47,087 55,948
45–49 25,585 25,459 31,615 31,207 35,299 36,538 40,612
50–54 26,900 29,358 31,292 29,722 32,651 39,343 40,345
55–59 40,814 40,960 40,678 42,846 44,346 47,872 49,919
60–64 113,028 124,232 132,896 157,357 179,492 185,471 194,784
65–69 271,807 255,551 255,938 247,235 210,104 201,685 212,921
70–74 348,462 338,988 330,060 352,892 306,106 328,081 307,545
75–79 319,280 320,707 329,111 354,041 332,983 324,077 347,014
80–84 205,032 221,245 235,460 240,300 241,035 255,163 258,395
85–89 105,966 107,179 114,333 103,886 113,785 124,464 127,887
90 and over 31,911 34,343 40,382 36,449 40,915 45,834 50,659
Total 1,690,906 1,755,988 1,829,300 1,921,046 1,901,283 1,990,132 2,099,570

Source: Annual Statistical Enquiry

Table two: Numbers of couples in Great Britain in receipt of the long—term rate of supplementary benefit—by age group of claimant
Year 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1986
Age Group
16 — — — — — — —
17 — — — — — — —
18 — — — — — — —
19 — 50 — — — 50 —
20 — — 50 — — — 100
21–24 — 150 50 50 249 300 500
25–29 200 199 300 100 498 649 848
30–34 598 349 500 949 750 1,201 1,547
35–39 498 596 949 1,351 1,249 2,648 3,795
40–44 749 1,542 1,149 1,198 2,647 3,697 4,846
45–49 1,350 1,746 1,948 1,650 2,647 5,353 6,698
50–54 3,052 2,942 3,348 4,894 5,994 9,298 10,340
55–59 6,243 5,878 6,797 8,089 13,883 20,553 24,773
60–64 9,484 11,399 21,035 38,145 99,729 118,105 123,182
65–69 99,132 84,679 94,741 87,050 64,123 61,902 63,171
70–74 111,606 99,020 98,584 106,833 90,653 86,563 80,757
75–79 73,507 64,708 72,872 74,963 74,951 71,017 66,110
80–84 24,534 23,060 24,830 31,707 31,307 36,617 34,183
85–89 6,899 8,126 6,165 7,251 7,715 5,452 7,800
90 and over 1,185 774 763 1,976 2,360 — 1,766
Total 339,029 305,220 334,082 366,206 398,755 423,404 430,417

Source:—Annual Statistical Enquiry

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