HC Deb 15 February 1994 vol 237 cc689-90W
Mr. John Evans

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people in the United Kingdom are currently unemployed but are receiving(a) income support, (b) invalidity allowance, (c) attendance allowance or (d) other social security benefits.

Mr. Burt

The number of people in Great Britain who are registered as unemployed and also receiving income support is 2,003,000. Available information about other social security benefits received by this group can be found in "Income Support Statistics, Quarterly Enquiry, February 1993", a copy of which is in the Library.

Information on other benefits received by individuals registered as unemployed but who are not receiving income support is available only for those receiving unemployment benefit. Such information as is available is in the table. Invalidity benefit is not payable to people who are registered as unemployed.

Unemployment Benefit claimants receiving other benefits
Date Benefit Unemployed claimants
May 1992 Housing Benefit 156,000
May 1992 Community Charge Benefit 322,000
June 1993 Family Credit 16,000
August 1993 Disability Working Allowance 24
August 1993 Unemployment Benefit 532,000

Notes:

  1. 1. All figures are for Great Britain and are rounded to the nearest thousand except Disability Working Allowance which is an exact figure.
  2. 2. Benefit recipients may be in receipt of more than one benefit.
  3. 3. Disability Working Allowance and Family Credit figures relate to residual entitlement from claims made prior to unemployment.
  4. 4. Housing Benefit figure includes 49,000 cases receiving Income Support. Community Charge Benefit figure includes 116,000 cases receiving Income Support.

Sir Thomas Arnold

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the number of working age adults claiming income support or unemployment, sickness or invalidity benefits as their main source of income for each year since 1989.

Mr. Scott

It is not possible to provide reliable estimates of the numbers whose main source of income is derived from income support or unemployment benefit, sickness benefit or invalidity benefit. Estimated average numbers of people receiving income support with and without other benefits can be found in table 7 of "Departmental Report, The Government's Expenditure Plans 1993–94 to 1995–96" (Cm 2213), a copy of which is in the Library.

Information on the number of recipients of unemployment benefit, sickness benefit and invalidity benefit is in the table.

Thousands
Unemployment Benefit Sickness Benefit Invalidity Benefit
1989 378 108 952
1990 299 103 1,003
1991 555 109 1,068
1992 669 138 1,175
1993 659 1 1
1 Figures not available.

Notes:

  1. 1. Working adults defined as males aged 16 to 64, females 16 to 59.
  2. 2. Recipients may be receiving more than one benefit.