HC Deb 25 October 1993 vol 230 cc506-8W
Mr. Redmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many of the lone parents claiming one-parent benefit are aged(a) under 16 years, (b) 16 to 19 years, (c) 20 to 24 years, (d) 25 to 29 years, (e) 30 to 34 years, (f) 35 to 39 years or (g) 40 years and over; and what percentage of mothers in each of those age groups are married or have previously been married.

Mr. Burt

Information about the age of one-parent benefit recipients is not held in all cases and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Information on recipients' marital status is not available.

Mr. Redmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many of the lone parents claiming family credit benefit are aged(a) under 16 years, (b) 16 to 19 years, (c) 20 to 24 years, (d) 25 to 29 years, (e) 30 to 34 years, (f) 35 to 39 years or (g) 40 years and over; and what percentage of mothers in each of those age groups are married or have previously been married.

Mr. Burt

The numbers of lone parents in receipt of family credit analysed by age are in the table.

Age band Number of lone parents in receipt of family credit
Under 16 years n/a
16 to 19 years 1,240
20 to 24 years 17,820
25 to 29 years 37,040
30 to 34 years 48,360
35 to 39 years 46,840
40 years and over 54,520
Total 205,820

Notes:

1. These figures include both lone mothers and lone fathers.

2. Information is not available on the marital status of lone parents receiving family credit.

Source: 5 per cent, of sample of family credit recipients at 30 April 1993.

Mr. Redmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many of the lone parents claiming income support benefit are aged(a) under 16 years, (b) 16 to 19 years, (c) 20 to 24 years, (d) 25 to 29 years, (e) 30 to 34 years, (f) 35 to 39 years or (g) 40 years and over; and what percentage of mothers in each of those age groups are married or have previously been married.

Mr. Burt

The figures requested are in the tables. The figures in both tables include both female and male lone parents.

Table 11
Income Support Recipients: Lone Parents by age group2
Age of Recipient Number of Cases3
Under 164 Nil
16 to 19 42,000
20 to 24 201,000
25 to 29 248,000
30 to 34 201,000
35 to 39 136,000

Table 21 Lone Parents2 receiving Income Support by Age and Marital Status
Never Married Marital Status Previously Married4 Currently Married3 Total Cases3
Age of Lone Parent Cases Per cent. Cases Per cent. Cases Per cent.
Under 16 Nil 0.0 Nil 0.0 Nil 0.0 Nil
16–19 38,000 91.0 Less than 500 0.5 4,000 8.6 42,000
20–24 162,000 80.9 7,000 3.2 32,000 15.9 201,000
25–29 139,000 56.2 32,000 13.0 76,000 30.8 248,000
30–34 67,000 33.1 57,000 28.1 78,000 38.8 201,000
35–39 31,000 22.5 53,000 38.7 53,000 38.8 136,000
40 and over 21,000 13.1 81,000 51.0 57,000 35.9 158,000
Total 458,000 46–5 229,000 23–2 299,000 30–4 985,000
1 Source: Income support statistics annual enquiry, May 1992.
2 Includes both male and female lone parents.
3 Numbers may not sum due to rounding. All numbers have been rounded to the nearest thousand. Percentages are correct to one decimal place.
4 "Previously Married" refers to lone parents who are widowed or divorced.
5 "Currently Married" refers to lone parents who are separated from their partners, or prisoners' partners.

Mr. Redmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many lone parents claiming housing benefit are aged(a) under 16 years, (b) 16 to 19 years, (c) 20 to 24 years, (d) 25 to 29 years, (e) 30 to 34 years, (f) 35 to 39

Lone parents in receipt of Housing Benefit by age and marital status:
With Income Support
Never Married Previously Married4 Currently Married3 Total 000s
Age Cases Percentage Cases Percentage Cases Percentage
Under 16
16–19 16 89 * 1 2 10 18
20–24 122 81 5 4 23 16 151
25–29 115 57 27 14 58 29 200
30–34 54 34 47 30 54 35 155
35–39 24 24 39 39 37 37 100
40 and over 15 14 54 51 37 35 105
Total 345 47 173 24 211 29 729

Lone parents in receipt of housing benefit without income support—details of marital status not available
Age Total (000s)
Under 16
16 to 19 *
20 to 24 7
25 to 29 18
30 to 34 21
35 to 39 18
40 and over 22
Total 87

Source:Housing benefit management information system, annual 1 per cent. sample, May 1992

Notes:

1. Total number of lone parents includes men, but 95 per cent. are female.

2. * indicates more than zero but fewer than 500.

3. "Married": indicates that the recipient has a partner.

4. "Previously Married": refers to recipients who are widowed or

Age of Recipient Number of Cases3
40 and over 158,000
Total 985,000
1 Source: Income support statistics annual enquiry, May 1992.
2 Includes both male and female lone parents.
3 All numbers have been rounded to the nearest thousand.
4 Young persons aged less than 16 cannot claim income support.

years or (g) 40 years and over; and what percentage of mothers in the above age groups are married or have previously been married.

Mr. Burt

Information is not available in the form requested. Such information as is available is in the tables.

divorced.

5. "Currently Married": refers to recipients who are permanently separated from their partners because their partner is in prison.