Income Support (Hansard, 25 February 1997)

§ 14. Mr. Winnick
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people are dependent on income support currently; and how many were dependent on the equivalent benefit in 1978. [15754]

§ Mr. Roger Evans
There were 9.8 million people living in families receiving income support in February 1996. In November 1978 there were 4.6 million people living in families receiving supplementary benefit.
Notes:
1. Numbers include claimants, their partners and dependants.
2. Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand.
3. Sample size 1978 supplementary pension cases one in 200.
4. 1978 supplementary allowance cases one in 50.
5. 1996 income support cases 5 per cent.
Source:
Income Support Statistics Quarterly Enquiry February 1996.
Supplementary Benefit Statistics Annual Enquiry 1978.

§ 24. Mr. Skinner
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the estimated number of people receiving income support; and what was the number in equivalent benefit terms, in 1979. [15764]

§ Mr. Evans
There were 5.71 million income support recipients in February 1996. In November 1979 there were 2.855 million supplementary benefit recipients.
Notes
1. Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand.
2. Sample size 1979 supplementary pension cases one in 200.
3. 1979 supplementary allowance cases one in 50.
4. 1996 income support cases 5 per cent.
Source:
Income Support Statistics Quarterly Enquiry February 1996.
Supplementary Benefit Statistics Annual Enquiry 1979.

§ Sir Andrew Bowden
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the value of the £8,000 upper capital limit for income support in 1997–98 if it had been uprated by (i) prices and (ii) earnings since its introduction. [14284]

§ Mr. Evans
The £8,000 capital limit for income support would be worth (i) £10,704.40 if uprated by prices, and (ii) £11,410.30 if uprated by average earnings.

§ Sir Andrew Bowden
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the value of the £3,000 capital limit for income support in 1997–98 if it had been uprated by (i) prices and (ii) earnings since its introduction. [14283]

§ Mr. Evans
The £3,000 capital limit would be worth (i) £4,421.40 if uprated by prices, and (ii) £5,111.65 if uprated by average earnings.

§ Sir Andrew Bowden
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the cost in 1997–98 of uprating(a) the £3,000 capital limit and (b) the £8,000 capital limit for income support for (i) pensioners and 200W (ii) all recipients of income support to the level it would have been in 1997–98 if it had been uprated with prices since introduction. [14287]

§ Mr. Evans
The estimated costs in 1997–98 if the lower and upper capital limits in income support had been uprated each year since their introduction in line with prices are (i) £50 million if only pensioners are included and (ii) £60 million if it is applied to all income support and jobseeker's allowance recipients.
Notes:
1. This is estimated using the 1994–95 family resources survey, uprated to 1997–98 case loads and benefit levels.
2. Estimates exclude cases in residential care and nursing homes.
3. Estimates include consequential costs in housing benefit and council tax benefit from new income support claimants being passported or to these benefits.
4. Estimates for all claimants include the costs of introducing the same capital limits in jobseeker's allowance.
5. Adjustments to these estimates are made using the May 1995 income support Quarterly Statistical Enquiry and the May 1995 housing benefit/council tax benefit management information system.
6. Estimates are rounded to the nearest £10 million.