HC Deb 12 November 1996 vol 285 cc198-201W
Mr. Hain

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many households received(a) means-tested benefits, (b) income support, (c) family credit, (d) housing benefit and (e) council tax benefit in (i) 1992 and (ii) 1996, in respect of (1) each region in Great Britain and (2) Great Britain as a whole; and what proportion of the total number of households this represented in each case; [3327]

(2) how many households received (i) any means-tested benefit, (ii) income support, (iii) family credit,(iv) housing benefit and (v) council tax benefit in (a) 1992 and (b) 1996 in each standard region of Great Britain and in Great Britain as a whole; and what proportion of the total number of households this represented in each case. [3100]

Mr. Andrew Mitchell

The information is not available in the format requested. A breakdown of family credit date by Government standard statistical region could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Such information as is available is in the tables:

Table 1: Numbers on means-tested benefits—May 1992
Thousands
One or more means-tested benefit Income support Family credit Housing benefit Community charge benefit
Great Britain 8,410 5,088 397 4,325 6,564
England 7,040 4,282 325 3,569 5,561
Scotland 930 519 47 539 657
Wales 440 287 25 217 346
Standard GSS region
North n/a 318 n/a 304 458
North West n/a 693 n/a 547 890
Yorkshire and Humberside n/a 463 n/a 411 667
East Midlands n/a 321 n/a 266 457
West Midlands n/a 493 n/a 400 681
East Anglia n/a 143 n/a 127 209
South East (ex London) n/a 706 n/a 574 957
London (Inner and Outer) n/a 792 n/a 659 764
South West n/a 353 n/a 282 479
DSS administrative regions
Northern n/a n/a 72 n/a n/a
North Western n/a n/a 65 n/a n/a
Midlands n/a n/a 74 n/a n/a
East Anglia and South East n/a n/a 83 n/a n/a
South West n/a n/a 32 n/a n/a

Table 2: Proportion of households on means-tested benefits—May 1992
Per cent.
One or more means-tested benefit Income support Family credit Housing benefit Community charge benefit
Great Britain 29 18 1 15 23
England 28 17 1 14 22
Scotland 36 20 2 21 25
Wales 32 21 2 16 25

Table 3: Numbers on means-tested benefits—May 1995
Thousands
One or more means-tested benefit Income support Family credit Housing benefit Council tax benefit
Great Britain 8,440 5,670 608 4,734 5,624
England 7,090 4,790 504 3,953 4,756
Scotland 890 555 68 543 581
Wales 460 325 36 238 288
Standard GSS region
North n/a 354 n/a 322 393
North West n/a 757 n/a 597 766
Yorkshire and Humberside n/a 513 n/a 438 545
East Midlands n/a 357 n/a 287 375
West Midlands n/a 548 n/a 425 558
East Anglia n/a 163 n/a 140 178
South East (Ex London) n/a 781 n/a 650 803
London (Inner and Outer) n/a 936 n/a 774 741
South West n/a 380 n/a 320 397
DSS administrative regions
Northern n/a n/a 110 n/a n/a
North Western n/a n/a 97 n/a n/a
Midlands n/a n/a 113 n/a n/a
East Anglia and South East n/a n/a 136 n/a n/a
South West n/a n/a 47 n/a n/a

Table 4: Proportion of households on means-tested benefits-May 1995
Per cent.
One or more means-tested benefit Income support Family credit Housing benefit Council tax benefit
Great Britain 29 19 2 16 19
England 28 19 2 16 19
Scotland 35 22 3 21 23
Wales 31 22 2 16 19

Notes:

  1. 1. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest thousand, except figures for one or more means-tested benefit which are rounded to the nearest ten thousand. Due to rounding totals may not tally.
  2. 2. Sample sizes: income support/family credit 5 per cent. Housing benefit/council tax benefit 1 per cent.
  3. 3. Means-tested benefits are defined as income support, family credit, housing benefit, and community charge benefit/council tax benefit.
  4. 4. Household information is not available since benefits are paid to a benefit unit. A benefit unit may be a single person or a couple. There may be more than one benefit unit within a household.
  5. 5. Overlaps between benefits have been taken into account in producing the number of benefit units receiving one or more means-tested benefit. There will be a considerable overlap between individual benefit numbers, as a person may receive one or more means-tested benefit.
  6. 6. Council tax benefit replaced community charge benefit from April 1993.
  7. 7. English regions used for income support, housing benefit, community charge benefit and council tax benefit are Government standard statistical regions. For family credit these are DSS administrative regions.
  8. 8. Housing benefit/community charge/council tax benefit figures include estimates due to the data collection procedure in Scotland.
  9. 9. n/a = not applicable.

Sources:

  1. 1. Income support statistics quarterly enquiry May 1995.
  2. 2. Income support statistics annual enquiry 1992.
  3. 3. Family credit 5 per cent. sample of awards.
  4. 4. Housing benefit management information system annual 1 per cent. sample enquiries, with and without income support taken at the end of May of each year given.
  5. 5. Office of national statistics, family resources survey, family expenditure survey.

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