HC Deb 04 April 1989 vol 150 cc172-3W
Ms. Mowlam

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what effects of the changes to young people's benefits, introduced in April and September 1988, his Department is monitoring;

(2) how his Department is monitoring the effects of the 1988 benefits changes on young people aged 16 and 17 years and 18 to 24 years.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

The Department is monitoring all the effects of the 1988 benefit changes on young people through the usual statistical sources, and through representations made by local authorities, voluntary organisations and other groups concerned with young people. As a result of his monitoring a package of measures to assist those of this group identified as having particular difficulties was announced in my hon. Friend's reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Broxtowe (Mr. Lester) on 13 March at columns27–28.

Ms. Mowlam

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will give the latest estimates of(a) how many young people aged 16 and 17 years have applied for discretionary payments of income support in order to avoid severe hardship, (b) how many young people have been awarded such payments, (c) what is the average time taken from the point of application to the point of payment of such awards and (d) what is the average duration of such awards.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

During the period 12 September 1988, when general entitlement to income support was withdrawn from 16 and 17-year-olds, to 23 March 1989 a total of 6,027 decisions were made under the Secretary of State's discretionary power to avoid severe hardship. A direction to enable income support to be paid was given in 3,908 instances. These figures relate to the number of decisions made, not to the number of young people involved. Some young people have made more than one application. Processing times are not available for these cases separately from other income support claims, but the commitment to make decisions within 24 hours of the full details of the case being referred to headquarters has been met. The length of direction given in each case is normally linked to an estimate of when a YTS place is likely to be available for the young person concerned. Information to calculate the average durations of directions is not collected.