HC Deb 21 February 1989 vol 147 cc589-91W
Mr. Redmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people are claiming income support in the Doncaster and Mexborough areas of South Yorkshire; what are the corresponding figures for each year since 1979; what was the actual percentage increase or decrease between the figures for 1979 and the latest figures; and what are the comparable national figures.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

The table shows the number of people receiving income support and its predecessor, supplementary benefit.

Figures have been supplied for the Department's local office at Doncaster East, Doncaster West and Wath-on-Dearne which serve the Don Valley constituency, although their boundaries are not conterminous.

Doncaster East Doncaster West Wath-on-Dearne
Supplementary Benefit
27 November 1979 5,818 7,082 4,170
2 December 1980 6,605 8,371 4,931
9 December 1981 8,284 10,730 6,088
7 December 1982 9,546 12,386 6,638
6 December 1983 10,269 12,633 7,172
12 December 1984 11,081 14,193 7,891
11 December 1985 11,498 14,188 8,073
10 December 1986 11,806 15,131 8,231
18 November 1987 11,712 14,559 7,879
Income Support
30 November 1988 10,164 12,951 7,118
Percentage increase between 27 November 1979 and 30 November 1988 (rounded) 75 83 71

Nationally:
Numbers
Supplementary Benefit on 27 November 1979 2,971,981
Income Support on 30 November 1988 4,325,232
Percentage increase between 27 November 1979 and30 November 1988 (rounded) 46

Source: 100 per cent. count of cases in action. The figures given include a small number of cases not actually in receipt of benefit. The data for 1988 are provisional and subject to amendment.

Mr. Redmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many new claims for income support were made in each month since 11 April 1988 at the Doncaster and Mexborough officers of his Department; and how many claims were determined each month;

(2) what was the average number of new claims and cases since 11 April 1988 awaiting review at the Doncaster and Mexborough offices of his Department which were recorded as outstanding each month; and how many related to (a) supplementary benefit claims and (b) single payment claims;

(3) how many unlinked items of correspondence were recorded each month since 11 April 1988 at the Doncaster and Mexborough offices of his Department;

(4) what load of current cases the Doncaster and Mexborough offices of his Department have carried in the past six months.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

The information available is set out in the tables.

The figures on unlinked post are supplied from local office records. The source of the live load count is the 100

Ending last day of month 1988 1989
April May June July August September October November December January
Doncaster East
Income support
Claims
Intake 581 688 852 1,111 830 985 906 873 646 860
Processed 467 703 894 1,104 841 966 921 891 587 848
Outstanding 114 99 107 114 103 122 107 89 148 160
Assessment review outstanding 82 47 63 52 88 114 47 43 216 213
Unlinked post 52 25 5 0 17 73 14 11 2 19
Live load 10,379 10,164
Supplementary benefit work outstanding
Claims 8 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Single payments 123 9 8 8 5 3 2 2 0 0
Additional requirements 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Doncaster West
Income support
Claims
Intake 794 911 994 1,313 996 1,268 999 1,039 758 1,151
Processed 541 882 991 1,330 1,075 1,134 1,146 1,021 785 1,092
Outstanding 253 282 285 268 189 323 176 194 167 22.6
Assessment review outstanding 159 63 153 164 99 115 107 70 137 174
Unlinked post 58 33 28 20 9 393 12 12 100 33
Live load 12,950 12,951
Supplementary benefit work outstanding
Claims 94 7 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Single payments 1,692 842 117 39 7 4 0 0 0 0
Additional requirements 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Wath-on-Dearne
Income support
Claims
Intake 437 571 589 668 569 740 623 627 453 661
Processed 316 564 603 657 584 692 660 605 456 655
Outstanding 121 128 114 125 110 158 121 143 140 146
Assessment review outstanding 212 45 43 46 38 76 58 102 120 163
Unlinked post 31 39 32 6 22 38 10 16 26 36
Live load 7,222 7,118
Supplementary benefit work outstanding
Claims 47 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Single payments 731 363 38 9 6 7 4 5 0 0
Additional requirements 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0