§ Mr. DenhamTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 2 May,Official Report, column 630, in respect of the figures given, what was the percentage of pensioners who claimed (a) income support, (b) housing benefit and (c) council tax benefit in each region of the United Kingdom for each year since 1970. [34889]
§ Mr. HealdThe information is in the following tables.
57W
1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 North Western (Manchester) 11.1 — — — — — — — — — North Western (Merseyside) 10.7 — — — — — — — — — Wales 18.1 17.5 17.4 17.2 17.7 16.3 15.1 15.7 14.1 15.1 Scotland 17 16.3 17.1 16.6 17.9 17.5 15.6 16.5 15.2 15.7 Northern Ireland 25.3 24.6 24.4 22.6 23.2 26.2 24.2 24.9 n/a 21.7 United Kingdom 18.2 16.9 17.1 17.1 17.1 15.3 14.2 14.8 n/a 14.2
Income support pensioner claimants by Government standard statistical region as a percentage of the regional pensioner population 1992 1993 1994 1995 South East (excluding London) 7.1 7.4 7.5 n/a London (inner and outer) 5.7 5.9 6.0 n/a North 14.7 16.5 16.6 n/a Yorkshire and Humberside 15.7 16.4 16.7 n/a East Midlands 12.8 13.4 13.9 n/a East Anglia 12.5 12.5 12.6 n/a South West 10.5 11.9 11.9 n/a West Midlands 15.7 16.6 17.1 n/a North West 16.9 18.2 18.6 n/a Wales 15.1 14.9 15.5 n/a Scotland 15.7 16.6 16.8 n/a Northern Ireland 21.7 23.5 n/a n/a United Kingdom 14.2 15 n/a n/a
Claimants of pension age in receipt of housing benefit 1992–94 Housing benefit claimants by Government standard statistical region as a percentage of the regional pensioner population 1992 1993 1994 South East (excluding London) 8.0 8.0 8.1 London (inner and outer) 7.3 7.5 7.3 North 21.0 20.1 20.5 Yorkshire and Humberside 19.1 20.2 19.7 East Midlands 15.1 15.3 14.1 East Anglia 14.5 14.5 14.2 South West 10.8 11.7 11.1 West Midlands 17.6 18.8 17.4 North West 16.7 16.7 17.2 Wales 14.6 14.1 13.8 Scotland 23.8 23.9 23.5 Northern Ireland n/a n/a n/a United Kingdom n/a n/a n/a
Community charge benefit/council tax benefit claimants by government standard statistical region as a percentage of the regional pensioner population 1992 1993 1994 South East (excluding London) 13.3 12.5 12.2 London (inner and outer) 8.9 8.5 8.4 North 30.4 27.6 27.8 Yorkshire and Humberside 29.8 29.1 28.1 East Midlands 26.6 24.2 22.3 East Anglia 23.8 21.8 21.5 South West 19.6 18.8 18.4 West Midlands 30.7 26.9 27.7 North West 28.5 26.5 27.2 Wales 22.1 20.5 20.5 Scotland 32.2 28.6 28.9 Northern Ireland n/a n/a n/a United Kingdom n/a n/a n/a Notes:
1. Percentages are expressed to one decimal point.
2. London data is expressed as a percentage of the "South East".
58W3. Supplementary benefit/income support pensioners are defined as male claimants aged 65 and over and female claimants aged 60 and over. Housing benefit/council tax benefit pensioners are defined as aged 60 and over.
4. Supplementary benefit/income support data are not available for 1985 and 1988. Supplementary benefit information is not available by region prior to 1972. Supplementary benefit information for Northern Ireland is not available prior to 1978.
5. Regions from 1970–1991 are DSS administrative regions. The boundaries for these regions changed in 1982. Data by Government standard statistical regions are available only from 1992.
6. Housing benefit/council tax benefit is not available by region prior to 1992. Northern Ireland housing benefit/council tax benefit data are not available.
7. Income support replaced supplementary benefit in April 1988.
8. Council tax benefit was introduced in April 1993.
9. Housing benefit/council tax benefit figures exclude cases where entitlement was reduced to nil after a non-dependent deduction was made.
Sources:
1. Office National Statistics, mid-term estimates 1971–1994.
2. Supplementary Benefit Annual Statistical Enquiries 1979–1987.
3. Supplementary Benefits (Northern Ireland) Annual Statistical Enquiries 1979–1987.
4. Income Support Annual Statistical Enquiries May 1989–1995.
5. Income Support Annual Statistical Enquiries (Northern Ireland) 1998–1993.
6. Housing Benefit Management Information System annual 1 per cent. sample May 1992–1994.