Income Support (Hansard, 12 April 1994)

§ Mr. Steinberg
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many recipients in each age group will become eligible for top-up payments to bring them up to the income support level after 11 April; and what will be the cost to public funds.

§ Mr. Hague
As income support is an income-related benefit, which provides financial help to people who are not in full-time work to bring their income up to a level prescribed by Parliament, it is often paid to top up other income received by claimants. More than half those claiming income support have other income—such as benefits, maintenance, part-time earnings, notional income from capital—taken into account when assessing their entitlement to benefit.
The most recent information that is available is in the table. Only the recipient's income has been used to produce the table. Income from partners or dependants has not been counted.

Income support recipients average IS by age Recipients with other income brought to account

Age of recipient Number of cases Total weekly IS (£) Average weekly IS (£)

16–19 52,000 2,800,000 52.77

20–29 523,000 35,600,000 67.97

30–39 462,000 36,900,000 80.00

40–49 232,000 18,600,000 79.98

50–59 124,000 8,700,000 70.21

60–69 296,000 10,500,000 35.61

70–79 505,000 15,000,000 29.74

80 and above 676,000 37,000,000 54.75

All cases 2,871,000 165,100,000 57.52

Notes:

1. Numbers of cases have been rounded to the nearest thousand, total IS amounts to the nearest hundred thousand pounds. Average amounts of IS are correct to the nearest penny.

2. Figures may not sum to the totals given due to rounding.

3. An IS recipient may have a partner's or dependent's income taken into account in the assessment. Such income has not been used in compiling the table above; only the recipient's income has been counted.

4. Source: Income Support Statistics Quarterly Enquiry, May 1993.

§ Mr. Rooker
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many recipients of income support who were studying less than 21 hours per week had benefit withdrawn under(a) availability for work criteria or (b) actively seeking work criteria in the latest year for which he has information; and how many such students had benefit restored after appeal.

§ Mr. Hague
The information is not available.

Income support recipients average IS by age Recipients with other income brought to account
Age of recipient	Number of cases	Total weekly IS (£)	Average weekly IS (£)
16–19	52,000	2,800,000	52.77
20–29	523,000	35,600,000	67.97
30–39	462,000	36,900,000	80.00
40–49	232,000	18,600,000	79.98
50–59	124,000	8,700,000	70.21
60–69	296,000	10,500,000	35.61
70–79	505,000	15,000,000	29.74
80 and above	676,000	37,000,000	54.75
All cases	2,871,000	165,100,000	57.52