HC Deb 16 March 1992 vol 205 cc891-3W
Mr. Meacher

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many recipients of income support who are entitled to a disability premium are aged(a) 18 to 19, (b) 20, (c) 21, (d) 22, (e) 23 and (f) 24 years.

Miss Widdecombe

The information is shown in the table.

Number of recipients (thousands)
Age group Disability premium Servere disability premium Total
18–19 10 10
20 6 * 6
21 6 * 6
22 6 * 6

Uprating date Rate £ Percentage increase on previous rate
November 1985 4.55 7.1
July 1986 4.60 1.1
April 1987 4.70 2.2
April 1988 4.90 4.3
April 1989 5.20 6.1
April 1990 5.60 7.7

Number of recipients (thousands)
Age group Disability premium Servere disability premium Total
23 5 * 5
24 6 * 6

Notes:

1. All figures are rounded to the nearest thousand.

2. Number of claimants * denotes fewer than 499.

3. Included in the above table are 2,000 lone parents who receive income support at the rate appropriate to a person aged 25 or over.

Source: Annual statistical inquiry May 1990.

Mr. Bradley

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will give his estimate of the number of separate households comprising 16 and 17-year-olds not eligible for income support.

Mr. Jack

The information requested is not available.

Mr. Bradley

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many households are currently receiving income support premiums under the Social Security Act 1986; and how many households he estimates would be eligible for this help but for their lack of accommodation.

Miss Widdecombe

In May 1990, 2,898,000 income support claimants were in receipt of one or more premiums. The number of income support claimants without accommodation was 8,000, but it is not possible to estimate how many of these would have been entitled to a premium if they had entered accommodation.

Residents of boarding establishments and hostels, including homeless families placed in temporary accommodation by local authorities, are entitled to the full range of income support premiums.

Source: Income support annual statistics inquiry May 1990.

Mr. Meacher

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Bradford, West (Mr. Madden) of 5 November,Official Report, column 84, on premia paid with income support, if he will give the total number of claimants for each of the premia.

Miss Widdecombe

The information is given in the table:

Premium Total number of recipients
Higher pensioner 688,000
Enhanced pensioner 314,000
Pensioner 496,000
Severe disability (higher) 13,000
Severe disability (lower) 50,000
Disability 331,000
Lone parent 793,000
Disabled child 18,000
Family premium 1,144,000

Note: Figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand.

Source: Annual statistical inquiry May 1990.

Mr. Nellist

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many income support claimants there were with deductions(a) for arrears of community charge and (b) for recovery of social fund loans, at the end of the most recent months for which figures are available.

Miss Widdecombe

[holding answer 2 March 1992]: The latest information of the number of income support claimants with deductions for arrears of community charge deductions is contained in the Department's management information statistics for the quarter ending November 1991, a copy of which is available in the Library. The number of social fund loan recoveries made in the most recent month for which figures are available, January 1992, is 693,353. The figures are based on the number of people making repayments during the whole of January and not at the end of that month. It is not possible to exclude from these figures repayments made by people not in receipt of income support.

Forward to