HC Deb 16 October 1996 vol 282 cc1028-9W
Ms Harman

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many families now claim the child care disregard. [41018]

Mr Andrew Mitchell

The information is not available in the format requested as information on claims is not available. The latest information on the number of awards where the childcare disregard has resulted in extra benefit payment is in the table:

Benefit 1Numbers benefitting from childcare disregard
Family Credit2 25,000
Disability Working Allowance3 99
Housing Benefit4 4000
Council Tax Benefit4 5000

Notes:

1 All figures are rounded to the nearest thousand except Disability Working Allowance which is an exact figure. Numbers exclude cases where maximum benefit is already payable before the childcare disregard.

2 Family Credit figures as at 31 May 1996.

3 Disability Working Allowance figures as at 30 April 1996.

4 Housing Benefit/Council Tax Benefit as at 31 May 1995.

Sources:

1. Family Credit Statistics Quarterly Enquiry (5 per cent. sample).

2. Disability Working Allowance 100 per cent. count of all claims.

3. Housing Benefit Management Information System, annual 1 per cent. sample enquiry for those not in receipt of Income Support taken at the end of May 1995.

Ms Harman

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the Government's original estimate of the number of families who would be eligible for the child care disregard. [40892]

Mr. Mitchell

The original estimate was that, in the long term, 150,000 families would benefit from the child care disregard.