§ Mr. DewarTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people have received a reduced rate of income support in the form of a hardship payment in the latest year for which figures are available and in each of the preceding three years.
§ Mr. Roger EvansThe information is set out in the table:
Awards of income support to prevent hardship period Number of hardship payments April 1990—march 1991 2,415 April 1991—march 1992 2,992 April 1992—march 1993 3,477 April 1993—march 19941 3,701 April 1994—August 1994 (4 months)1 1,677 Note:
1Figures are provisional and subject to amendment.
§ Mr. DewarTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the number of people who gave up employment to protect the benefit entitlement of a spouse or partner in the latest period for which an estimate can be made; and what change he estimates there would have been in that figure if the 16-hour limit had been raised to 24 hours.
§ Mr. Roger EvansThe information is not available in the form requested. We estimate that approximately 20,000 households will benefit from the change in the hours rule for working partners, when the changes from 16 to 24 hours as proposed with the introduction of job seeker's allowance are introduced.