HC Deb 06 December 1993 vol 234 cc118-9W
Mr. Tony Banks

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people received income support transitional protection in 1988 in(a) Newham and (b) nationally; how many in each of the same areas received no income support increase due to transitional protection in each successive year; and how many of these had (i) pensioner premia and (ii) disability premium.

Mr. Burt

The figures for those receiving income support transitional addition in Great Britain are in table 1. It is not possible to provide reliable figures for Newham. Those with a transitional addition in May of each year would not have received an increase at the uprating in the April of that year. However, the following increases over and above normal uprating were made available on top of transitional additionsOctober 1989—new rate of pensioner premium introduced for those aged 75-79 and special increase in higher pensioner premium—worth £2.50 a week for a single person and £3.50 for a couple. October 1991—increase in family premium, child personal allowances and under age 25 single personal allowances. October 1992.all pensioners premiums increased by £2 for a single person and £3 for a couple.

Table 2 shows the numbers receiving a special transitional addition in Great Britain. All will have

Table 1
Income Support Claimants in Receipt of a Transitional Addition
May 1988 May 1989 May 1990 May 1991 May 1992
Total Cases with TA1 1,585,000 497,000 134,000 29,000 10,000
Higher Pensioner Premium 220,000 73,000 15,000 2,000 Under 1000
Enhanced Pensioner Premium Nil Nil 14,000 1,000 NIL
Pensioner Premium 491,000 168,000 23,000 2,000 1,000
Disability Premium 63,000 27,000 9,000 3,000 1,000
1 Transitional Addition

Table 2
Income Support Claimants in Receipt of a Special Transitional Addition
May 1988 May 1989 May 1990 May 1991 May 1992
Total Cases with STA1 2,000 2,000 1,000 1,000 1,000
Higher Pensioner Premium 1,000 1,000 Under 1,000 Under 1,000 Under 1,000
Enhanced Pensioner Premium NIL NIL NIL Under 1,000 Under 1,000
Pensioner Premium Under 1,000 Under 1,000 Under 1,000 NII Nil
Disability Premium Under 1,000 1,000 Under 1,000 Under 1,000 Under 1,000
1 Special Transitional Addition

  1. 1. Source: Income Support Statistical Enquiries 1988-1992
  2. 2. Figures given in both tables are rounded to the nearest thousand
  3. 3. Enhanced Pensioner Premium was introduced in October 1989