Sickness and Invalidity Benefit (Hansard, 7 July 1993)

§ Mrs. Bridget Prentice
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentage of people currently claiming invalidity benefit are women; and what percentage of these women head single-parent households.

§ Mr. Scott
The information is not available in the form requested.
At 30 March 1991, the latest date for which information is available, 25 per cent. of invalidity benefit claimants were women¹.
There is no information available on what percentage of women claimants head single-parent households. ¹ Figure based on a 1 per cent. sample of claimants.

§ Mrs. Bridget Prentice
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people were found to be fraudulently claiming invalidity benefit in each year since 1980; and if he will give the figure so far for 1993.

§ Mr. Scott
I understand from Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency that the information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

§ Mr. Elletson
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will give the number of people claiming(a) sickness and (b) invalidity benefit for each of the last 10 years.

§ Mr. Scott
Available information about the numbers claiming sickness and invalidity benefits is in the table.

Date Sickness benefit claimants² Invalidity benefit claimants

29 May 1982 469,000 684,000

2 April 1983 408,000 737,000

31 March 1984 ³247,000 797,000

30 March 1985 225,000 849,000

5 April 1986 237,000 899,000

4 April 1987 ³187,000 968,000

2 April 1988 228,000 1,047,000

1 April 1989 266,000 1,126,000

31 March 1990 309,000 1,209,000

30 March 1991 372,000 1,306,000

1991–92⁴ 120,000 1,365,000

1992–93⁴ 135,000 1,490,000

Notes:

¹ Figures based on a 1 per cent. sample of claimants, at a point in time, rounded to the nearest thousand.

² Figures include claimants who are not receiving sickness benefit but receive national insurance credits.

³ Statutory sick pay introduced from 6 April 1983 for a maximum eight weeks sickness absence in a tax year. From 6 April 1986 statutory sick pay was payable for up to 28 weeks in any one period of incapacity for work.

164W
⁴ Information is not yet available for later than March 1991. For 1991–92 and 1992–93 figures come from the estimates appearing in the departmental report 1993.

Date	Sickness benefit claimants²	Invalidity benefit claimants
29 May 1982	469,000	684,000
2 April 1983	408,000	737,000
31 March 1984	³247,000	797,000
30 March 1985	225,000	849,000
5 April 1986	237,000	899,000
4 April 1987	³187,000	968,000
2 April 1988	228,000	1,047,000
1 April 1989	266,000	1,126,000
31 March 1990	309,000	1,209,000
30 March 1991	372,000	1,306,000
1991–92⁴	120,000	1,365,000
1992–93⁴	135,000	1,490,000
Notes:
¹ Figures based on a 1 per cent. sample of claimants, at a point in time, rounded to the nearest thousand.
² Figures include claimants who are not receiving sickness benefit but receive national insurance credits.
³ Statutory sick pay introduced from 6 April 1983 for a maximum eight weeks sickness absence in a tax year. From 6 April 1986 statutory sick pay was payable for up to 28 weeks in any one period of incapacity for work.