HC Deb 28 July 1988 vol 138 cc509-11W
Mr. Frank Cook

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the number of, or estimates of, people who were in November 1987(a) in receipt of supplementary benefit and (b) dependent upon supplementary benefit in respect of the offices of his Department at Stockton, Middlesbrough, Hartlepool, Eston and Redcar.

Mr. Scott

The number of people in receipt of supplementary benefit on 18 November 1987 was:

Number
Stockton 20,321
Middlesbrough 23,141
Hartlepool 12,365
Eston 8,445
Redcar 9,492

Source: 100 per cent, count of cases in action.

I regret that information on the number of people dependent upon supplementary benefit is not available at local level.

Mr. Frank Field

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will update the answer given to the hon. Member for Birkenhead,Official Report, 9 December, column 206, to give the number of claimants and dependants below and above retirement age for each year since 1979, who have been dependent on supplementary benefit for over five years.

Mr. Scott

The table shows and up-dates the number of claimants below and above pension age who have been dependent on supplementary benefit for five or more years since 1979. Information about their dependants is not immediately available. When it is I shall write to the hon. Member.

Supplementary pension claimants (thousands) Supplementary allowance claimants (thousands)
November 1979 1,053 234
December 1980 1,054 251
December 1981 1,087 281
December 1982 1,090 308
December 1983 1,057 348
December 1984 1,041 409
February 1986 1,026 535
May 1987 1,033 659

Source: Annual Statistical Enquiries.

There was no annual statistical inquiry in 1985: the one due in December that year was deferred until February 1986.

Mr. McLeish

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the total number of 16 and 17-year-olds claiming supplementary benefit in September in each of the years 1979 to 1987 inclusive.

Mr. Scott

Information about the number of 16 and 17-year-olds claiming supplementary benefit in any given period is not available. The numbers in receipt of supplementary benefit on a day in each of the months indicated are shown in the following table:

Date Total number of 16/17-year-olds in receipt of supplementary benefit (thousands )
November 1979 79
December 1980 141
December 1981 166
December 1982 183
December 1983 175
December 1984 184
February 1986 168
May 1987 141

Source: Annual sample statistical inquiries.

Notes: No inquiry was held in 1985.

Mr. Frank Field

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will detail the extent to which the increase in the number of persons living at or below the supplementary benefit level since 1979 has been due to an increase in the real value of the scale rates;

(2) what proportion of the increase in the number of persons living at 100 per cent, or below the supplementary benefit level is accounted for by the real increase in the value of benefits over the periods (a) 1979 to 1983 and (b) 1979 to 1985.

Mr. Battle

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how far the fall in the number of persons living(a) below supplementary benefit level, (b) on supplementary benefit and (c) at between 100 and 140 per cent, of supplementary benefit level is accounted for by the changes in the real value of the supplementary benefit scale rate between 1979 and 1985.

Mr. Scott

[holding answer 8 July 1988]: The information requested is as follows. The increase attributable to higher supplementary benefit real values is greater in some instances than the increase which actually occurred. Thus, if supplementary benefit had increased only in line with prices, the numbers of people in these ranges would have reduced. Supplementary benefit recipients do not, as a general rule, have incomes of 100 per cent, of the supplementary benefit scale rates. Two individuals shown in the low-income tables as having similar incomes may have incomes which are significantly different because two quite separate scale rates are applied.

Percentage of the increase in the number of people in benefit units attributable to real terms increases in the supplementary benefit scale rates 1979–85
Per cent.
1. People in units receiving supplementary benefit 30
2. People in units not receiving supplementary benefit but with RNR below 100 220
3. Total: Rows 1 and 2 together 150
4. People in units not receiving supplementary benefit and with RNR between 100 and 140 140
1 The corresponding figure for the period 1979 to 1983 is 40 per cent.

Notes:

(1) Relative net resources is a concept expressing the net income of people not in receipt of supplementary benefit as a proportion of the supplementary benefit scale rates. A full explanation of how RNR is calculated may be found in the technical notes included in "Low Income Familes—1985", copies of which are available in the Library.

(2) Further information on the relative net resource distribution of persons in benefit units receiving supplementary benefit or housing benefit supplement may be found in the reply given to the hon. Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) on 17 June, at column 366.