HC Deb 22 April 1994 vol 241 cc700-1W
Mrs. Roche

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many individuals were in receipt of invalidity benefit within the Brighton borough council area for each consecutive year from 1986; and how much was paid out in invalidity benefit in each of those years.

Mr. Scott

This is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available.

Letter from Michael Bichard to Mrs. Barbara Roche, dated 21 April 1994: The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about Invalidity Benefit (IVB) recipients in Brighton. The information is not available in the format requested. This is because statistics did not identify separately invalidity benefit customers from sickness benefit customers until May 1991. The Brighton Borough Council area corresponds very closely with the geographical area dealt with by the BA's Brighton District Office (DO). Statistics relating to the numbers of IVB customers appropriate to the Brighton DO area will provide a reasonably accurate figure for IVB recipients within the area in question. However, from November 1992, IVB claims appropriate to the BA Lewes Branch Office (BO) area have also been dealt with at Brighton DO. Unfortunately statistics of IVB customers appropriate to each office area are not maintained and could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost.

Numbers of IVB recipients dealt with by Brighton DO at a point in time were as follows:
Area
May 1991 2,137 Brighton DO area only
May 1992 2,556 Brighton DO area only
May 1993 4,243 Brighton DO and Lewes BO areas
March 1994, 4608 Brighton DO and Lewes BO areas
These figures were obtained from a 100 per cent. clerical count of cases in the DO at the last working day of each month. Districts do not maintain records of the total amount of IVB paid to customers in any period. To establish the amount of benefit in payment at any point in time would involve disproportionate cost. I hope you find this reply helpful.