HC Deb 29 November 1995 vol 267 cc746-7W
Mr. Robin Cook

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was(a) DSS income support expenditure for residents in private and voluntary residential nursing homes and (b) the number of claimants in Scotland between 1979 and 1994. [1142]

Mr. Roger Evans

No data for Scotland are available prior to 1988. The available information is set out in the table:

Number of claimants and income support expenditure on residents in residential care and nursing homes in Scotland
Number of claimants
Year Residential care Nursing homes Residential allowance Annualized Cost £ million
1988 6,000 4,000 62
1989 6,000 4,000 65
1990 9,000 6,000 98
1991 9,000 9,000 145
1992 10,000 12,000 201
1993 10,000 11,000 219
1994 8,000 9,000 5,000 208

Notes:

1. Figures prior to 1994 are a "snap-shot" taken at a particular month each year. From 1988 the month of the inquiry was May.

2. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest thousand and expenditure to the nearest million.

3. Expenditure for 1994 has been calculated by adding together the estimated quarterly expenditure May 1993-February 1994 (number of cases multiplied by average Income Support multiplied by 13). Expenditure prior to 1994 has been calculated by multiplying the number of cases by the average weekly Income Support and multiplying by 52. For 1990 and 1991 average Income Support for Scotland is not known and the figure for Great Britain has been used.

4. Residential Allowance was introduced in April 1993. Figures for 1993 are negligible. For 1994 the figures shown are for preserved rights cases split by residential care and nursing homes and Residential Allowance for which no equivalent split is available.

Source:

Income Support Quarterly Statistical Inquiries—Residential Care nd Nursing Home Inquiries May 1991–1994.

Income Support Quarterly Inquiries—Board and Lodging Inquiry 1988–1990.