HC Deb 27 March 1990 vol 170 cc165-6W
Mr. Frank Field

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will update the answer given to the hon. Member for Birkenhead on 30 January 1989,Official Report, column 70, about claimants and dependants on supplementary benefits income support.

Mrs. Gillian Shephard

The information is in the tables:

Number of claimants in receipt of supplementary benefit or income support
Year Great Britain England Wales Scotland
1979 2,855,000 2,396,000 172,000 286,000
1980 3,118,000 2,627,000 186,000 304,000
1981 3,723,000 3,131,000 221,000 371,000

Maximum net weekly income at which community charge benefit is awarded
Annual community charge £ Single person under 25 Single person over 25 Married couple 2 children under 11 Single pensioner aged 60 to 74 Pensioner couple aged 60 to 74
£ £ £ £ £ £
349.00 66.16 74.06 167.71 80.86 143.61
381.00 69.44 77.34 174.26 84.14 150.16
386.00 69.95 77.85 175.28 84.65 151.18
391.00 70.46 78.36 176.30 85.16 152.20
394.00 70.77 78.67 176.92 85.47 152.82

Year Great Britain England Wales Scotland
1982 4,267,000 3,590,000 253,000 423,000
1983 4,349,000 3,649,000 260,000 440,000
1984 4,609,000 3,866,000 275,000 468,000
1986 4,938,000 4,141,000 291,000 506,000
1987 4,896,000 4,073,000 287,000 535,000
1988 4,352,000 3,594,000 259,000 499,000
1989 4,160,000 3,430,000 246,000 485,000
Number of partners and dependent children of claimants in receipt of supplementary benefit or income support
Year Great Britain England Wales Scotland
1979 1,516,000 1,256,000 95,000 164,000
1980 1,745,000 1,465,000 104,000 177,000
1981 2,399,000 2,013,000 149,000 237,000
1982 2,803,000 2,348,000 173,000 281,000
1983 2,888,000 2,438,000 178,000 273,000
1984 3,119,000 2,618,000 198,000 304,000
1986 3,353,000 2,821,000 207,000 326,000
1987 3,309,000 2,789,000 194,000 327,000
1988 3,036,000 2,527,000 182,000 328,000
1989 2,860,000 2,380,000 165,000 315,000

Sources for both tables:

  • 1979–1987—Annual Statistical Inquiry.
  • 1988—Updated figures using Annual Statistical Inquiry.
  • 1989—Provisional estimates based on May Quarterly Statistical Inquiry.

Notes:

  1. 1. All figures are rounded to the nearest thousand and may not therefore sum.
  2. 2. There was no Annual Statistical Inquiry in 1985: the one due in December that year was deferred until February 1986.