HC Deb 19 November 1992 vol 214 cc361-7W
Mr. Raynsford

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of(a) the annual cost or saving, (b) the numbers of gainers or losers, (c) the

The tariff income rule is kept under review, but we have no plans for change at present.

Mr. Dewar

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish a regional breakdown of the total budget of his Department for each of the past five years; and if he will give a regional breakdown of expenditure on each benefit for which his Department is responsible for each of the past five years, in cash and real terms.

Mr. Scott

[holding answer 9 November 1992]: The information is not available in the form requested. However, the following table, which appears in "Regional Trends", presents an estimate of the regional breakdown of expenditure in respect of some major benefits. The table is for 1989–90, the most recent year available.

average amounts of weekly gains or losses and (d) the maximum amounts of weekly gains and losses in individual cases, which would result from adjustments of the housing benefit taper from 65 per cent. to (i) 50 per cent., (ii) 55 per cent., (iii) 60 per cent., (iv) 70 per cent., (v) 75 per cent. and (vi) 80 per cent.

Mr. Burt

The information requested for(a), (b) and (c) is shown in the table.

HB taper (per cent.) Annual Cost £ million Annual Saving £ million Number of gainers (000s) Number of losers (000s) Average weekly amount of gain £ Average weekly amount of loss £
50 340 1625 4.00
55 210 1555 2.60
60 100 1505 1.30
70 90 1465 1.20
75 165 1465 2.20
80 240 1475 3.10

Figures have been provided from data from the 1987–88–89 family expenditure surveys and are modeled at 1992–93 prices. These figures are rounded

Figures for (d) could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Dewar

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people were in receipt of each benefit for which his Department is responsible in each region of the United Kingdom for each of the past five years.

Mr. Scott

[holding answer 9 November 1992]: The available information on numbers of recipients by region is set out in the tables.

Income Support Recipients of Income Support for the last three years by DSS regions
Region May 1989 May 1990 May 1991
Great Britain 4,161,000 4,180,000 4,487,000
North Eastern 684,000 674,000 688,000
London North 607,000 638,000 735,000

Family Credit Recipients of Family Credit for the last five years by DSS Region
30 April 1988 30 April 1989 30 April 1990 30 April 1991 30 April 1992
Region
Midlands 45 51 57 64 73
Northern 41 51 56 61 70
London North 25 29 35 39 44
Wales and South West 40 43 47 49 55
North Western 42 51 53 58 64
Scotland 30 35 37 41 46
London South 20 25 28 30 37
Great Britain 243 286 314 342 389

Note: All figures are rounded to the nearest thousand.

Average number of Housing Benefit and Community Charge Benefit1 cases in Great Britain by standard region
1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92
Region Housing Benefit Community Charge Benefit Housing Benefit Community Charge Benefit Housing Benefit Community Charge Benefit Housing Community Community Charge Benefit
South East 696,000 683,700 490,400 929,000 530,300 891,000
London 670,400 656,000 545,000 724,400 602,100 732,700
North 385,200 377,900 296,600 504,200 296,800 446,500
Wales 285,100 281,800 203,900 383,700 209,700 324,600
Scotland 694,100 556,300 850,300 542,200 590,600 542,500 640,300
Yorkshire and Humberside 529,200 519,000 387,800 664,500 397,900 635,100
East Midlands 294,400 287,200 211,400 430,300 214,800 392,000
East Anglia 197,800 192,000 142,200 279,000 150,900 257,700
South West 348,700 345,400 247,600 477,100 265,800 453,400
West Midlands 539,000 520,400 369,100 687,800 384,900 691,000
North West 733,900 725,900 514,400 960,300 524,000 875,500
Total 5,373,900 5,145,700 850,300 3,950,700 6,730,900 4,119,600 6,339,700
1 Community Charge was first introduced in Scotland in April 1989 and extended to the rest of Great Britain in April 1990.

Region May 1989 May 1990 May 1991
South Western 268,000 274,000 310,000
Wales 246,000 248,000 257,000
Midlands 668,000 665,000 699,000
North Western 662,000 643,000 669,000
Scotland 486,000 481,000 487,000
London South 540,000 558,000 641,000

Source:

Income Support Statistics Annual Inquiries, May 1989–91.

Caveat:

All figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand, hence they may not sum to the totals given.

Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit Pensions1 or Pensions in lieu of gratuities current at the end of the Statistical Year for the last five years2
Region 31 March 1991 31 March 1990 1 April 1989 2 April 1988 4 April 1987
Great Britain 192,000 191,000 185,000 183,000 183,000
Scotland 17,000 17,000 17,000 16,000 16,000
Wales 19,000 19,000 17,000 16,000 19,000
England 152,000 151,000 148,000 147,000 143,000
Northern 22,000 22,000 22,000 21,000 21,000
Yorkshire and Humberside 19,000 20,000 20,000 20,000 20,000
East Midlands 14,000 14,000 13,000 12,000 12,000
East Anglia 5,000 5,000 5,000 5,000 5,000
South East 35,000 35,000 34,000 33,000 33,000
South Western 12,000 11,000 10,000 10,000 10,000
West Midlands 18,000 18,000 18,000 18,000 18,000
North Western 26,000 26,000 27,000 27,000 25,000
Overseas 4,000 4,000 4,000 4,000 4,000
1 Please note that it is possible for an IIDB beneficiary to have more than one pension in payment.
2 Figures do not take account of late awards notified.

Source: Annual 10 per cent. sample. Table figures uprated.

Invalidity Benefit The number of Invalidity Benefit Beneficiaries for the last five years by Standard Statistical Region (The Statistics given are at a point in time)
Region 30 March 1991 31 March 1990 1 April 1989 2 April 1988 4 April 1987
Great Britain 1,306,000 1,208,900 1,126,000 1,047,500 967,900
Scotland 181,400 169,300 157,900 146,900 135,200
Wales 146,600 137,500 131,800 126,900 122,000
England 970,600 895,500 829,100 766,600 704,000
Northern 126,300 116,900 110,000 102,700 96,600
Yorkshire and Humberside 124,500 118,400 107,500 98,000 89,100
East Midlands 74,200 66,200 61,000 55,700 50,400
East Anglia 28,800 26,300 23,600 20,700 19,300
South East 219,200 204,600 192,000 179,200 163,700
South Western 71,900 66,100 60,200 57,400 53,400
West Midlands 105,900 97,300 90,300 85,400 76,200
North Western 219,800 199,700 184,500 167,500 155,300
Overseas 7,400 6,600 7,200 7,100 6,700

Source: Annual 1 per cent. sample of claims to benefit.

[Table figures updated].

Sickness Benefit The number of Sickness Benefit Beneficiaries for the last five years by Standard Statistical Region (The Statistics given are at a point in time)
Region 30 March 1991 31 March 1990 1 April 1989 2 April 1988 4 April 1987
Great Britain 109,600 103,400 109,200 117,500 109,600
Scotland 14,800 13,300 12,900 15,800 15,400
Wales 11,700 10,300 8,900 9,600 9,500
England 83,000 79,600 87,300 92,100 84,700
Northern 9,000 9,800 9,500 9,700 10,700
Yorkshire and Humberside 11,700 10,100 11,600 12,500 10,500
East Midlands 5,900 7,200 7,500 8,800 6,200
East Anglia 3,000 2,200 2,800 3,300 2,900
South East 20,000 17,600 20,700 22,900 21,200
South Western 5,500 6,500 6,200 6,500 6,000
West Midlands 8,700 8,900 10,400 9,200 9,900
North Western 19,200 17,300 18,600 19,200 17,300
Overseas 100 200 100 Nil Nil

Source: Annual 1 per cent. sample of claims to benefit. [Table figures uprated].

Severe Disablement Allowance The number of Severe Disablement Allowance Beneficiaries for the last five years by Standard Statistical Region (The Statistics given are at a point in time)
Region 30 March 1991 31 March 1990 1 April 1989 2 April 1988 4 April 1987
Great Britain 293,300 284,600 274,500 263,200 260,100
Scotland 33,900 33,600 32,600 32,300 31,700
Wales 21,900 22,100 20,900 19,800 18,800
England 237,300 228,700 220,900 211,000 209,500
Northern 19,200 19,500 18,400 18,200 17,700
Yorkshire and Humberside 28,800 27,000 26,800 25,200 24,900
East Midlands 19,800 18,600 18,000 17,100 16,100

Region 30 March 1991 31 March 1990 1 April 1989 2 April 1988 4 April 1987
East Anglia 9,000 8,900 8,400 7,500 7,300
South East 69,000 66,800 65,100 63,600 64,500
South Western 24,100 23,400 22,900 21,900 22,300
West Midlands 24,000 23,600 21,600 20,600 20,000
North Western 43,400 40,900 39,700 36,900 36,700
Overseas 200 200 100 100 100

Source: Annual 1 per cent. sample of claims to benefit [Table figures uprated].

Unemployment Benefit Number of unemployed claimants in Great Britain in receipt of Unemployment Benefit at May of each year by Standard Statistical Region
Thousands
Region 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992
Great Britain 636 378 299 555 669
South East 135 74 69 160 210
East Anglia 18 9 9 19 23
South West 45 25 19 43 53
West Midlands 59 32 27 59 75
East Midlands 44 26 22 39 47
Yorkshire and Humberside 69 41 31 55 58
North West 86 55 40 57 77
North 55 37 24 36 38
Wales 39 24 17 28 28
Scotland 86 56 40 52 58

Source: Quarterly Analysis of Unemployed Claimants.

Sample size: 100 per cent.

Due to rounding, component parts may not sum to totals.