§ Mr. ByersTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people in north Tyneside are currently in receipt of invalidity benefit. [14556]
§ Mr. HagueThis is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available.
Letter from Tony Laurence to Mr. Stephen Byers, dated 22 March 1995:
As Michael Bichard is on leave at the moment, the Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the number of Invalidity Benefit (IVB) recipients in North Tyneside.The information is not available in the form requested. This is because Benefits Agency (BA) District areas do not correspond with county or borough boundaries.The BA North Tyneside District, comprising North Shields District Office (DO) and Wallsend Branch Office (BO), has responsibility for administering claims for almost all IVB customers resident in the North Tyneside District Council administrative area.However, that District also deals with a small number of IVB customers who reside within the Newcastle City Council administrative area. Furthermore, the Newcastle East Branch Office of the BA Newcastle District also deals with a small number of IVB customers resident in the North Tyneside District Council area. Figures relating specifically to these small groups of customers would only be available at disproportionate cost.For this reason, I am providing the latest figures available for IVB customers within the BA North Tyneside District only:-
Number of IVB Customers in North Tyneside District at 28 February 1995 Number North Shields DO 4,501 Wallsend BO 3,504 Total 8,005 These figures include a very small number of customers who are entitled to IVB but are not actually receiving it because they are receiving an overlapping benefit (such as Widows Benefit) payable at a higher rate.I hope you find this reply helpful.
§ Mr. RogersTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people are currently receiving invalidity benefit in the Rhondda benefit district; what percentage this is of the total population of working age; and what are the average percentages for(a) Wales and (b) England and Wales. [14845]
§ Mr. HagueThe information is not available in the form requested.
338WThe available information is in the tables.
Table A: People in receipt of invalidity benefit in the Taff Rhondda District Office area on the last working day
of February 1995
Number Taff Rhondda District Office 18,235 Notes:
1. Figures obtained from 100 per cent. clerical count of cases in the Benefits Agency offices.
2. The figure will include some people who have claimed but are not actually receiving Invalidity Benefit because they are in receipt of a higher overlapping benefit.
Table B: People in receipt of invalidity benefit on 3 April 1993 by country and percentage of working population Country People in receipt of invalidity benefit Percentage of the working population Wales 172,000 10 England 1,184,000 4 England and Wales 1,356,000 4 Notes:
1. The working population has been taken to be 16 to 64 for men and 16 to 59 for women.
2. Invalidity benefit information based on a 1 per cent. sample of claimants, rounded to the nearest thousand.
3. Estimated mid-year-1993—population figures supplied by the population estimates unit, OPCS.