§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Birkenhead, (Mr. Field), on 8 May,Official Report, column 87, what was the proportion and number of income support and unemployment benefit claimants who (i) successfully and (ii) unsuccessfully claimed reduced income support under the hardship rules in each month since 9 October 1989 and, for each category, the numbers whose claim was in doubt due to (a) actively seeking work, (b) availability and (c) restricted availability, and the numbers in each case whose claim was awaiting adjudication, had been disallowed, or was subsequently allowed; and if he will break the figures down by region.
§ Mrs. Gillian ShephardThe statistics kept are given in the table. The remainder of the information requested is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
635W
Social Security Region North East Midlands London North London South Wales and South West North West Scotland National Total March 1990 Was unavailable1: Awards made 27 10 78 24 29 24 30 222 Awards refused 8 7 17 7 20 10 12 81 Did not actively seek work: Awards made 11 3 27 10 18 3 14 86 Awards refused 0 3 4 2 8 3 1 21 April 1990 Was unavailable1: Awards made 37 13 39 13 41 20 13 176 Awards refused 18 9 3 4 16 8 4 62 Did not actively seek work: Awards made 5 3 15 10 8 3 1 45 Awards refused 1 0 5 15 4 4 3 32 1 Includes unavailability for total or part week, and unreasonable restriction on occupation where appropriate. Notes:1. All figures are provisional and subject to amendment.
2. No individual figure in the table exceeds 0.01 per cent. of the latest available number of Income Support claimants.