§ Earl Russellasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many people are in receipt of income support; what percentage of the population over 18 this represents; and how many of the recipients are (a) of pensionable age, (b) in receipt of a disability premium and (c) registered unemployed.
§ The Minister of State, Department of Social Security (Lord Mackay of Ardbrecknish)On the basis of the Income Support Quarterly Enquiry November 1994, the latest available data, it is estimated that there are 5,700,000 recipients of income support, of whom 1,590,000 are of pensionable age, 687,000 receive the Disability Premium and 1,759,000 are registered as unemployed.
The total number in receipt of income support, which may include some persons aged 16 or 17, represents, on the basis of the 1994 mid-term estimate by the Office of Population, Censuses and Surveys, 13.2 per cent. of the total population aged 18 and over.