HC Deb 09 July 1996 vol 281 cc136-8W
Mr. Chris Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list for 1994–95, the number of employees for whom a recovery of statutory maternity pay was claimed by employers from the national insurance fund. [35656]

Mr. Heald

The Government Actuary's Department has estimated that the number of employees for whom a recovery of statutory maternity pay was claimed by employers in 1994–95 was 370,000.Notes: 1. Figure rounded to the nearest 10,000. 2. Figures do not assume that all women will receive SMP for 18 weeks.

Mr. Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the effect on public revenues in a full year of allowing employers to recover fully the statutory sick pay that they pay. [35655]

Mr. Heald

The estimated extra benefit cost in 1996–97 is £880 million.

Note: 1. Government Actuary's Department estimate, rounded to the nearest £5 million.

Mr. Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the number of female employees in the most recent available year who(a) received statutory maternity pay, (b) were excluded from entitlement to statutory maternity pay because of earnings below the lower earnings limit, and received maternity allowance instead, (c) were excluded from entitlement to SMP because they were abroad, and received maternity allowance instead, (d) were excluded from entitlement to SMP because they were in legal custody, and received maternity allowance instead, (e) received incapacity benefit during pregnancy and the period after confinement and (f) received no SMP, maternity allowance or incapacity benefit during pregnancy. [35646]

Mr. Heald

The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is given in the table and relates to 1993–94, the latest year for which information is available.

1993–94
Estimated number of statutory maternity pay (SMP) recipients 1370,000
Maternity allowance awards to women excluded from SMP as earnings less than Lower Earnings Limit 23,300
Maternity allowance awards to women excluded from SMP as outside the European Economic Area 2Nil
Maternity allowance awards to women excluded from SMP as in legal custody 2200
1 Government Actuary's Department estimate rounded to nearest 10,000, it does not assume that all women receive 18 weeks SMP.
2 Figures taken from 1 per cent, sample of maternity allowance claims made in Great Britain.

Mr. Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the number of employees who received statutory sick pay, giving a breakdown by sex and age, for the most recent available year. [35644]

Mr. Heald

The information is not available in the format requested. Data on the number of payments made by employers in 1992–93 are shown in the table. These include figures for people who have received more than one payment.

Age Men Women
Under 20 30,000 29,000
20 and up to 24 247,000 293,000
25 and up to 29 337,000 394,000
30 and up to 34 337,000 348,000
35 and up to 39 298,000 301,000
40 and up to 44 271,000 305,000
45 and up to 49 276,000 333,000
50 and up to 54 231,000 271,000
55 and up to 59 212,000 214,000
60 and up to 64 167,000 58,000
65 and over 40,000 2,000
Total 12,448,000 12,547,000

1. Totals do not sum due to rounding.

2. Figures are taken from a 1 per cent. sample of statutory sick pay payments made by employers in UK and rounded to the nearest 1,000.

Mr. Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate for the most recent available year(a) the amount of statutory sick pay paid to all employees, (b) the number of employees receiving statutory sick pay, (c) the number of employees who are not entitled to statutory sick pay because of low earnings, and who received incapacity benefit instead and (d) the number of employees who are not entitled to statutory sick pay because of low earnings who receive no other benefits during their period of illness. [35654]

Mr. Heald

The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is for 1992–93 and is as follows:

The total value of statutory sick pay payments by employers was £814 million1.

The number of SSP payments made by employers was 4.8 million1. This figure includes people who may have received more than one payment in the year.

The number of people who claimed sickness benefit because their earnings were below the lower earnings limit for the payment of national insurance contributions was 38,0002. Notes: 1 Figures taken from a 1 per cent. sample of all payments made by employers in Great Britain. 2 Figure taken from a 1 per cent. sample of all claims to sickness benefit in Great Britain.

Mr. Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the amounts recovered by employers for(a) statutory sick pay and (b) statutory maternity benefit; and what were amounts paid in (i) sickness benefit and (ii) maternity allowance in each year since 1980. [35645]

Mr. Heald

The available information is in the table.

£ million
Year Statutory sick pay Statutory maternity pay Sickness benefit1 Maternity allowance
1980–81 654 149
1981–82 680 158
1982–83 554 152
1983–84 500 265 141
1984–85 508 279 161
1985–86 545 276 164
1986–87 757 179 168
1987–88 840 193 193 51
1988–89 898 250 192 27
1989–90 949 286 204 30
1990–91 941 314 216 34
1991–92 781 408 274 31
1992–93 688 434 364 32
1993–94 659 416 365 33
1994–95 25 443 342 27
1995–96 25 453 32
1 Sickness benefit and invalidity benefit were replaced by incapacity benefit in April 1995.
Outturn figures from 1980–81 to 1994–95, and estimated outturn figure for 1995–96.