HC Deb 10 May 1993 vol 224 cc341-3W
Mrs. Mahon

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what policy considerations underlie the difference in income support for those aged 18 to 25 years and those over 25 years.

Miss Widdecombe

The levels of benefit for those aged 18 to 24 take account of the fact that a large majority of this group do not have the responsibility for running their own household; the lower rates also reflect the lower earnings expectations of this age group generally.

Mrs. Mahon

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many income support recipients are aged between 18 and 24 years; and how many receive the reduced £34.80 rate.

Miss Widdecombe

There are 810,000 recipients of income support aged 18 to 24. Of these, 520,000 receive the rate appropriate to a single claimant.

Source: Income Support Annual Statistical Enquiry, May 1991.

Notes:

1. All figures have been rounded to the nearest ten thousand.

2. The number of recipients at the given rate has been estimated. The actual rate for 1991 does not correspond to the rate mentioned in the question.

Mrs. Mahon

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security which living expenses the income support personal allowance(a) of £34.80 and (b) for those aged over 25 years is intended to provide.

Miss Widdecombe

Income support rates are intended to cover all normal day to day living expenses. They do not include separate amounts for specific items of expenditure.

Mrs. Beckett

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claimants of income support in each Benefits Agency office having customers in Derbyshire, have arrangements for(a) direct payment of housing costs, (b) attachment of community charge, (c) direct repayments to the social fund, (d) direct payments to the electricity companies and (e) direct payments to British Gas; and what are the total counts of (a) to (e) for customers who are residents of Derbyshire.

Miss Widdecombe

The administration of Income Support and the Social Fund are matters for Mr. Michael Bichard the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available and a copy will be placed in the Library.

Letter from Mr. M. Bichard to Mrs. Margaret Beckett, dated 7 May 1993:

As Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency it is my responsibility to answer questions about relevant operational matters. I am therefore replying to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security, asking how many claimants of Income Support in each Benefits Agency office having customers in Derbyshire, have arrangements for (a) direct payment of housing costs, (b) attachment of community charge, (c) direct re-payments to the Social fund, (d) direct payments to the electricity companies and (e) direct payments to British Gas; and what are the total counts of (a) to (e) for customers who are residents of Derbyshire.

The complete range of information is not available except at a disproportionate cost. This is because statistics are not routinely collected to reflect the area of residence of customers with deductions. Statistics will shortly be available giving the numbers of benefit recipients whose mortgage interest is paid directly to their mortgage lender and I will be pleased to write to you further with this information when it is available. Statistics relating to Social Fund are only available on a District Office basis. These statistics show the number of loan applications for which a repayment was made during March 1993 and do not necessarily equate to the number of applicants. All the other figures show the position as at 28 February 1993.

I hope you find this reply helpful. A copy of this letter will appear in the official report and a copy will also be placed in the Library.

Appendix
Deduction arrangements in Derbyshire
Number
Derby (London road)
Water 575
Rent 445
Gas 769
Electricity 9
Community charge 1,894
TOTAL 3,692
Derby (Beeket street)
Water 410
Rent 210
Gas 626
Electricity 41
Community charge 1,767
TOTAL 3,045
Ilkeston office
Water 217
Rent 158
Gas 674
Electricity 43
Community charge 1,548
Number
TOTAL 2,640
Buxton office
Water 46
Rent 37
Gas 86
Electricity 5
Community charge 208
TOTAL 382
Chesterfield office
Water 119
Rent 737
Gas 816
Electricity 16
Community charge 969
TOTAL 2,657
Social Fund—repayments from income support
Number
Central Derbyshire district office 2,572
South Derbyshire district office 1,677
North Derbyshire district office 2,027
Stockport district office 2,286