§ 63. Mr. RiddickTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the outcome of his Department's advertising campaign to increase the uptake of family credit.
§ Mrs. Gillian ShephardThe first stage of the campaign in spring 1989 was a considerable success. Over the nine weeks during which TV adverts were shown over a quarter of a million family credit claims were received, about twice as many as in the nine weeks beforehand. Independent research carried out before and after the advertising showed a marked increase in awareness of family credit, with prompted awareness increased to 87 per cent., and in comprehension which demonstrated that the advertising had been successful in correcting misconceptions concerning some aspects of eligibility.
By the end of September 1989 the caseload had risen to around 320,000 compared with about 280,000 before the advertising began.
Further TV and press advertising began in November 1989 and the weekly level of claims since then is averaging 527W more than 40 per cent. above the level at the same time in the previous year. Further research is taking place on awareness and comprehension levels but the results are not yet available. The effect on the caseload will not be known until all the claims received since the further advertising began have been dealt with.
Since April 1989, when the publicity first began, well over 800,000 claims have been received and about 520,000 of these have been new claims rather than existing recipients renewing their award. Nearly half a million awards have been made altogether and, currently, approaching 65 per cent. of all claims are successful.
Estimates of the effect on the percentage take-up level cannot be made until information becomes available from the 1989 family expenditure survey about the total eligible population in that year.