§ Mr. Frank FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many self-employed people failed to qualify for sickness benefit due to inadequate contributions for each of the last 30 years;
(2) how many self-employed have failed to draw national insurance benefits in each of the last 30 years because of an inadequate contributions record; and if he will present these data according to each of the major national insurance benefits.
§ Mr. HagueThe available information for sickness benefit is in the table. Earlier figures can be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Figures are not available for the other national insurance benefits.
Period Number of sickness benefit spells commencing in the period, where the claimant declared themselves self-employed, and did not satisfy the contribution conditions for the payment of the benefit. 4 April 1988 to 1 April 1989 24,000 3 April 1989 to 31 March 1990 32,000 2 April 1990 to 30 March 1991 38,000
Year Number of cases with mortgage interest included in the assessment Average weekly amount of mortgage interest included in the assessment (£s) Estimated annual expenditure on mortgage interest (£m) 1979 98,000 5.96 31 1980 134,000 10.18 71 1981 196,000 12.18 124 1982 235,000 13.87 170 1983 242,000 11.94 150 1984 277,000 15.18 219 1985 — — — 1986 356,000 18.96 351 1987 334,000 19.31 335 1988 300,000 18.33 286 1989 281,000 24.18 353 1990 310,000 34.33 553 1991 411,000 44.41 949 1992 499,000 44.03 1,143 1993 555,000 42.17 1,217 1994 548,000 37.98 1,082 Notes:
1. Income Support replaced Supplementary Benefit in 1988.
2. All figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand.
3. Figures are not available for 1985.
4. Mortgage interest has only been collected as a separate item since 1983. Previous estimates were based on owner-occupiers' residual housing costs and included an element for ground rent.
5. Estimated annual expenditure on mortgage interest is calculated as total numbers multiplied by average weekly amount multiplied by 52.
Source:
Supplementary Benefit/Income Support Annual Statistical Enquiries 1979–1993 for number of cases and 1983–1993 for expenditure. Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiry February 1994.