§ Earl Russellasked Her Majesty's Government:
What proportion of the population of the United Kingdom below pensionable age (including children) are dependent on non-contributory income-related social security benefits.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Social Security (Lord Henley)Information is not collected centrally in precisely the form requested.
In May 1990 about 19 per cent. of the United Kingdom population aged under 60 was in income-related benefit units headed by a person aged under 60.
Income-related benefits include income support, paid largely to people not in work; family credit, paid to families in work; and housing benefit and community charge benefit, paid to those in work and to those out of work.
Source: Social Security Statistics 1991.