§ Mr. BradshawTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many lone parents will be eligible for assistance under the New Deal in Exeter. [27656]
§ Mr. FieldThe New Deal for Lone Parents is currently available in eight areas around the UK (not including Exeter).
From April 1998, lone parents in Exeter who make a new claim for Income Support will be offered the opportunity to participate in the New Deal for Lone Parents, and from October, the service will be available to all lone parents who are in receipt of Income Support.
Figures of how many lone parents in Exeter are expected to be eligible for the New Deal for Lone Parents are not available. However, the most recent figures available (November 1995) suggests that there were 2,0001lone parents in receipt of Income Support within the Exeter Local Authority District, whom 1,0001had a youngest child of school age. The New Deal for Lone Parents is primarily aimed at lone parents whose youngest child is at school. However, the service is also available for lone parents with pre-school children.
1 Numbers rounded to the nearest thousand.
Source:
Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiry, November 1995.