§ Mr. JenkinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many lone parents in Staffordshire, listed by Benefits Agency district, were in receipt of income support on the most recent date for which figures are available; and how many dependants were in lone parent families on that date. [51911]
§ Mr. Keith BradleyThe Government are taking action to improve the lives of lone parents on Income Support and their families. The New Deal for Lone Parents is designed to offer lone parents the same choice of improving their families' lives through paid work that parents in couples enjoy. All parents will benefit from the increase from April 1999 in Child Benefit and the corresponding increase in family premium in income-related benefits. Parents on income-related benefits with children under the age of 11 will also receive extra help through the increase in the child allowance in those benefits from November 1998.
The administration of Income Support is a matter for Peter Mathison, Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to my hon. Friend.
Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Brian Jenkins, dated 24 July 1998:
The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking for information relating to the number of lone parents and their dependants in receipt of Income Support (IS) in Staffordshire by Benefits Agency District.The information requested is contained in the attached annex. It is the latest available and is provisional and may be subject to change.I hope that this is helpful.73W
Number of lone parents and dependants (in thousands) by Benefits Agency (BA) Districts in Staffordshire—November 1997 BA district Number of Income Support customers in receipt of the family premium (lone parent rate) Number of dependants whose parents receive the family premium(lone parent rate) North Staffordshire (which includes the offices of Hanley, Longton and Newcastle) 7,000 13,000 Central Staffordshire (which includes the offices of Cannock, Lichfield and Stafford) 5,000 9,000 Derwent and Trent (which includes the offices of Burton on Trent, Derby Beckett Street, Derby London Road and Ilkeston) 9,000 19,000
Number of lone parents and dependants (in thousands) by Benefits Agency (BA) Districts in Staffordshire—November 1997 BA district Number of Income Support customers in receipt of the family premium (lone parent rate) Number of dependants whose parents receive the family premium(lone parent rate) Wolverhampton (which includes the office of Wolverhampton Temple Street) 6,000 12,000 Total 27,000 53,000 Notes:
1. Numbers are rounded to the nearest thousand and may not sum
2. Data are based on a 5 per cent. Sample
3. Lone parents are defined as claimants receiving the family premium (lone parent rate) and will exclude some single parents who receive a higher value premium, such as the disability or pensioner premium
4. Dependants are aged 0–18 years
Source:
Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiry, November 1997