HC Deb 02 December 1996 vol 286 cc499-500W
Mr. Frank Field

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Colchester, North (Mr. Jenkin) of 12 November,Official Report, column 194, how many (a) new claims and (b) recipients there were in each of the last 15 years for (i) child benefit and (ii) one parent benefit; how many claims for each of those benefits were turned down in each of the last 15 years; if he will provide a breakdown of the reasons for the refusal of claims for each of those benefits in each of the last 15 years; and how many claims for child benefit in each of those years were based on foreign documentation. [6267]

Mr. Andrew Mitchell

The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table.

Figures are not available for the number of claims for child benefit in each of those years which were based on foreign documentation, but are estimated to have been 16,000 a year in each of the last three years.

New claims and total recipients of Child Benefit 1980–1995
Thousands
New Claims Recipients
1980 789 7,174
1981 764 7,136
1982 762 7,014
1983 652 6,924
1984 n/a n/a
1985 770 6,819
1986 789 6,762
1987 701 6,712

New claims and total recipients of Child Benefit 1980–1995
Thousands
New Claims Recipients
1988 864 6,706
1989 807 6,695
1990 816 6,732
1991 819 6,805
1992 815 6,857
1993 795 6,913
1994 873 6,995
1995 881 6,996

Data is not available on the number of new awards for Child Benefit for 1984 due to industrial action in that year.

New claims and recipients of One Parent Benefit 1980–1995
Thousands
New Claims Recipients
1980 123 438
1981 118 469
1982 140 513
1983 127 541
1984 n/a n/a
1985 151 582
1986 145 607
1987 170 681
1988 176 708
1989 176 722
1990 190 773
1991 180 818
1992 188 855
1993 196 898
1994 177 941
1995 198 994

Data is not available on the number of new awards for One Parent Benefit for 1984 due to industrial action in that year.