Asylum Seekers (Hansard, 19 March 1996)

§ Mr. Austin-Walker
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the savings in respect of benefits no longer paid under the Social Security (Persons from Abroad) Miscellaneous Amendments Regulations 1996 to(a) asylum seekers with children, (b) persons housed under the homelessness legislation, and (c) other persons seeking asylum. [21597]

§ Mr. Roger Evans
The estimated savings in respect of benefits no longer paid to asylum seekers with children are £50 million in 1996–97, rising to £107 million in 1997–98. Estimated savings for those housed under the homelessness legislation are not available. Estimated savings for other persons seeking asylum are £68 million in 1996–97, rising to £147 million in 1997–98.
Notes:
1.Figures are based on income support and housing benefit administrative statistics for 1994, uprated in line with departmental forecasts and Home Office estimates of asylum applications.
2. Figures relate to income support, housing benefit, council tax benefit and jobseeker's allowance combined.
179W

§ Mr. Austin-Walker
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the savings to his Department as a result of the implementation of the Social Security (Persons from Abroad) Miscellaneous Amendments Regulations 1996 in respect of housing benefit no longer paid. [21598]

§ Mr. Evans
The estimated savings in respect of Housing Benefit no longer paid to asylum seekers are £60 million in 1996–97, rising to £130 million in 1997–98.
Note:
Figures are based on housing benefit administrative statistics for 1994, uprated in line with departmental forecasts and Home Office estimates of asylum applications.

Figure 16—Replacement ratios for the working population¹

Number with replacement ratios at or above each level^{2 3 4}

1985⁵ 1992–93⁶ 1993–94⁷ 1994–95⁸

000 Per cent. 000 Per cent. 000 Per cent. 000 Per cent.

100 per cent.+ 60 0.5 5 ⁹1 10 ⁹— 10 ⁹—

90 per cent.+ 210 1.5 35 0.3 40 0.3 35 0.3

80 per cent.+ 730 5.2 160 1.2 175 1.3 190 1.4

70 per cent.+ 1,870 13.4 445 3.2 465 3.5 505 3.8

¹ Calculated for benefit units selected from FES data where the head works 30 hours or more a week. Excludes the self-employed and pensioners. Estimates are cumulative.

² Caseloads are rounded to the nearest 5,000 (subject to a margin error of 20,000). Proportions are rounded to the nearest 0.1 per cent., and any change of 0.5 percentage points is statistically significant.

³ Estimates assume full receipt of benefit entitlement both in and out of work and are based on income from all sources after housing costs. Figures for 1990–91 and 1991–92 incorporate the effects of the community charge benefit and the independent taxation of husbands and wives.

⁴ Estimates for 1985 make arbitrary allowance for travel-to-work costs. However the use of a single figure to represent such costs is inadequate, and survey evidence suggests that up to one in three employees may have no travel to work costs. For those reasons, estimates for 1980–90 onwards make no allowance for travel to work costs.

⁵ Extrapolated from the 1982, 1983 and 1984 family expenditure survey.

⁶ Extrapolated from the 1987, 1988 and 1989 family expenditure survey.

⁷ Extrapolated from the 1988, 1990 and 1991 family expenditure survey.

⁸ Extrapolated from the 1990, 1991 and 1992 family expenditure survey.

⁹ Indicates case load less than 0.1 per cent.

This replaces the information published in the 1995 departmental report which unfortunately was in error as a result of a computer modelling problem.

Figure 16—Replacement ratios for the working population¹
Number with replacement ratios at or above each level^{2 3 4}
	1985⁵	1992–93⁶	1993–94⁷	1994–95⁸
	000	Per cent.	000	Per cent.	000	Per cent.	000	Per cent.
100 per cent.+	60	0.5	5	⁹1	10	⁹—	10	⁹—
90 per cent.+	210	1.5	35	0.3	40	0.3	35	0.3
80 per cent.+	730	5.2	160	1.2	175	1.3	190	1.4
70 per cent.+	1,870	13.4	445	3.2	465	3.5	505	3.8
¹ Calculated for benefit units selected from FES data where the head works 30 hours or more a week. Excludes the self-employed and pensioners. Estimates are cumulative.
² Caseloads are rounded to the nearest 5,000 (subject to a margin error of 20,000). Proportions are rounded to the nearest 0.1 per cent., and any change of 0.5 percentage points is statistically significant.
³ Estimates assume full receipt of benefit entitlement both in and out of work and are based on income from all sources after housing costs. Figures for 1990–91 and 1991–92 incorporate the effects of the community charge benefit and the independent taxation of husbands and wives.
⁴ Estimates for 1985 make arbitrary allowance for travel-to-work costs. However the use of a single figure to represent such costs is inadequate, and survey evidence suggests that up to one in three employees may have no travel to work costs. For those reasons, estimates for 1980–90 onwards make no allowance for travel to work costs.
⁵ Extrapolated from the 1982, 1983 and 1984 family expenditure survey.
⁶ Extrapolated from the 1987, 1988 and 1989 family expenditure survey.
⁷ Extrapolated from the 1988, 1990 and 1991 family expenditure survey.
⁸ Extrapolated from the 1990, 1991 and 1992 family expenditure survey.
⁹ Indicates case load less than 0.1 per cent.