§ Mr. MilburnTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many recipients of income support are having deductions made from their benefit(a) for poll tax arrears, (b) fuel bills and (c) social fund loan repayments; and what percentage of the total number of claimants this represents.
§ Mr. BurtThe latest information showing the total number of income support recipients with a deduction for community charge arrears, fuel bills and social fund repayments and as a percentage of the total number of recipients is as follows:
Recipients with deductions Number Per cent. (a) Community charge arrears 337,000 6.2 (b) Fuel bills 305,000 5.6 (c) Social fund repayments 637,000 11.8 Notes:
1. Source: The figures used are based on management information statistics collected by the Benefits Agency at the end of August 1992. These figures, which have been rounded to the nearest '000, are provisional and may be subject to amendment.
2. It is not possible to exclude from the social fund figure repayments made by people not in receipt of income support.
§ Mr. MilburnTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many recipients of income support in each region and as a percentage of the total had deductions made from their benefit(a) for poll tax arrears, (b) fuel bills and (c) social fund repayments in (i) 1990, (ii) 1991 and (iii) 1992 to date.
§ Mr. BurtThe information requested is in the table. The figures show the number of income support recipients with a deduction at the point of survey. Figures showing the total numbers who received a deduction throughout each year are not available.
§ Mr. BurtLocal authorities receive central grant funding through the revenue support grant towards the cost of the services that they provide. It would be inappropriate for people in local authority residential care homes to receive the same levels of income support as people in independent sector homes as it would be double provision of central Government funding.