§ Mr. Ieuan Wyn JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish the number of self-employed currently applying for family credit and the total amount paid to the self-employed in family credit during the last year for which figures are available.
§ Mr. JackAs at 31 October 1990, the latest date for which comprehensive information is available, there were 47,860 families receiving family credit where the main earner was self-employed. We estimate that, in 1989–90, the total amount of family credit paid to families where the main earner was self-employed was around £88 million, which was just over 20 per cent. of total expenditure on family credit in that year.
398W
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the total number of families who received family credit payments in each of the last two years.
§ Mr. Jack597,000 awards of family credit were made in 1989–90 and 638,500 in 1990–91. The total of awards made since the start of the scheme in 1988 recently passed the 2 million mark. Awards last for six months, and then a renewal claim has to be made, leading to a further award if appropriate. Therefore, many families will have received more than one award, and information is not available as to the total number of families who have received family credit during a given period.