§ Mr. Graham AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claimants will not receive any overall increase in their benefit income in April 1989(a) for the United Kingdom as a whole and (b) for his Department's local offices in the county of Nottinghamshire, both numerically and as a percentage of benefit claimants.
§ Mr. Peter Lloyd[holding answer 16 January 1989]: I regret that precise information is not available. Of some 20 million social security benefit recipients whose benefit increases in April 1989 around 570,000 income support recipients and an estimated 1,200 in receipt of housing benefit transitional protection payments will not receive any overall increase in their benefit income. Family credit awards are for a fixed period, normally six months, and they are not uprated during this period. The new rates take effect only from the following claim.
Information for Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.