HC Deb 31 July 1997 vol 299 c583W
Mr. Webb

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many lone parents are currently receiving income support; and what estimate she has made of the number of lone parents likely to be in receipt of income support in each of the next five financial years. [10771]

Mr. Keith Bradley

It is estimated that as at August 1996, the latest date for which information is available, there were 1,061,000 lone parents receiving income support in Great Britain. Available estimates of the number of lone parents likely to be in receipt of income support in the future are in the table. New estimates of the number of lone parents in receipt of income support, taking into account the new deal for lone parents, will be available in October.

Lone parents in receipt of income support

  • 1996–97: 1,057,000
  • 1997–98: 1,054,000
  • 1998–99: 1,044,000
  • 1999–00: 1,054,000

Notes:

1. Figures are consistent with those given in tables 6 and 7 in the 1997 Social Security departmental report, published before the new deal was announced, and are rounded to the nearest thousand.

2. Figures are based on a 5 per cent. sample and as such are subject to a degree of sampling variation.