Income Support (Hansard, 16 February 1995)

§ Mr. Simon Hughes
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the current policy of his Department regarding payment of deductions from benefits for rent arrears to local authorities; and what changes to the policy he is considering.
740W

§ Mr. Roger Evans
Deductions from income support for rent arrears are paid to local authorities at intervals of 13 weeks and credited to tenants' rent accounts. There are no plans to change this policy.

§ Ms Harman
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what is the total amount of income support annually given to families with(a) one adult working, (b) two adults working and (c) three or more adults working, specifying the amount given to people aged 18 to 24 years in each category; and how much is given to single parents in category (a);
(2) how many families currently receiving income support have (a) one adult working, (b) two adults working and (c) three or more adults working, specifying 741W the number of people aged 18 to 24 years each category includes; and how many single parents are included in (a).

§ Mr. Roger Evans
The available information is in the table.
Information relating to part (c) is not available, as any working adults living in the same household as the claimant and their partner would claim income support in their own right.

Number of families Average weekly income support £ Estimated annual income support £ million

One adult worker 117,000 72.88 442

of which:

— single parents 74,000 67.08 257

— 18–24 year olds 7,000 56.16 21

Two adult workers 1,000 90.17 2

of which:

— 18–24 year olds 0 0 0

Figures rounded to nearest thousand.

Notes:
1. Estimated annual income support is calculated as total weekly income support—number of families in the inquiry week multiplied by average weekly income support—multiplied by 52.
2. Families have been taken to mean a single person or couple with dependants. Expenditure figures in the departmental report for families are benefits for lone parents only.
3. Adult workers can be either the claimant or partner.
4. Figures may not sum to totals due to rounding.
5. There may be some 18 to 24-year-old lone parents who will be included in both categories but will only be counted once i n the overall total.
Source:
6. Income support quarterly statistical inquiry—February 1994.

	Number of families	Average weekly income support £	Estimated annual income support £ million
One adult worker	117,000	72.88	442
of which:
— single parents	74,000	67.08	257
— 18–24 year olds	7,000	56.16	21
Two adult workers	1,000	90.17	2
of which:
— 18–24 year olds	0	0	0
Figures rounded to nearest thousand.