HC Deb 10 February 1994 vol 237 cc393-4W
Mr. John Evans

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people in the United Kingdom are unemployed and receiving sickness benefit to the latest available date.

Mr. Scott

Information is not available in the form requested.

In the period 1 April 1991 to 4 April 1992—the latest period for which information is available—802,000 spells of sickness benefit commenced. In 405,000 of the spells the person stated they had not been in employment prior to claiming.

Notes:

1. Figures based on a 1 per cent. sample of claims in Great Britain rounded to the nearest thousand.

2. Sickness benefit will not have been paid in all spells.