Benefits (Hansard, 5 March 1998)

§ Ms Harman

The main reason for revising Table 6 is to correct an error in the estimates of forecast caseloads for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit (due to incorrect transcription of figures), which was not picked up prior to publication of the 1997 Departmental Report. At the same time, other improvements have been made to Table 6 which will be adopted in the Departmental Report for 1998 and subsequent years.

The revised table shows caseload figures consistent with the expenditure figures shown in the 1997 Departmental Report. It is in the same improved format as will be adopted for the corresponding table in the 1998 Departmental Report (to be published in April 1998). The table differs from Table 6 in the 1997 Departmental Report in the following ways:

It corrects for a transcription error in the estimates of forecast caseloads for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit, which was not picked up prior to publication of the 1997 Departmental Report.

It includes outturn information for 1996–97 which was not available at the time of publication of the 1997 Departmental Report. This is particularly important in improving the estimates for Jobseeker's Allowance.

Estimates for forecast years are for average annual caseloads. This ensures complete consistency with expenditure estimates presented elsewhere in the Departmental Report.

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Revised table 6 of 1997 department report Table 6: Estimated numbers receiving benefits at a particular time to 1996–97 (b)(c)(d), estimated average numbers receiving benefits each year from 1997–98 to 1999–2000
000
	Point in time	Average
	Mid-year 1992–93 outturn	Mid-year 1993–94 outturn	Mid-year 1994–95 outturn	Mid-year 1995–96 outturn	Mid-year 1996–97 outturn	1997–98 forecast (a)	1998–99 forecast (a)	1999–2000 forecast (a)
Retirement Pension	10,096	10,013	10,139	10,261	10,423	10,480	10,618	10,758
Widows Benefits	340	334	324	314	301	293	284	277
Unemployment Benefit (e)	642	640	513	418	397	—	—	—
Jobseeker's Allowance—contributory (e)	—	—	—	—	294	260	253	248
Jobseeker's Allowance—non-contributory (f)	—	—	—	—	1,350	1,438	1,324	1,261
Sickness Benefit (g)	147	127	127	—	—	—	—	—
Invalidity Benefit (h)	1,580	1,681	1,767	—	—	—	—	—
Incapacity Benefit—Short Term (LR) (g)	—	—	—	119	118	125	124	123
Incapacity Benefit—Short Term (HR) and Long Term (h)	—	—	—	1,739	1,663	1,597	1,523	1,470
Maternity Allowance (i)	13	12	11	13	12	14	14	14
Non-contributory Retirement Pension	29	29	28	29	28	27	27	26
War Pension (j)	256	288	306	313	327	315	300	277
Attendance Allowance (k)(1)	890	962	1,046	1,115	1,149	1,246	1,301	1,345
Invalid Care Allowance	180	221	261	309	348	380	423	464
Severe Disablement Allowance	316	329	348	330	355	405	418	431
Disability Living Allowance (1)(m)	1,019	1,248	1,400	1,589	1,768	1,932	2,068	2,196
Disability Working Allowance	0	3	5	7	11	13	16	18
Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (n)	212	226	235	249	262	260	273	286
Reduced Earnings Allowance/Retirement Allowance	156	154	152	155	155	142	140	137
Other Industrial Injuries Schemes	2	1	1	1	1	1	1	1
Industrial Death Benefit	24	22	21	20	19	17	16	14
Income Support (excluding the aunemployed)(f)	3,383	3,682	3,804	3,936	4,030	4,217	4,307	4,419
of which:
Income Support—elderly	1,668	1,789	1,776	1,761	1,766	1,797	1,805	1,808
Income Support for the unemployed (o)	1,900	2,011	1,949	1,700	1,523	0	0	0
Child Benefit
Number of children (p)	12,285	12,414	12,543	12,579	12,625	12,833	12,881	12,924
Number of families	6,795	6,849	6,905	6,943	6,970	7,102	7,138	7,162
One Parent Benefit/Child Benefit Lone Parent (p)	839	886	918	964	1,010	1,054	1,094	1,134
Family Credit	447	515	575	637	710	764	810	852
Housing Benefit (q)
Rent rebate	3,023	3,060	3,007	2,953	2,887	2,791	2,736	2,718
Rent allowance	1,315	1,519	1,660	1,798	1,875	1,921	1,997	2,098
Council Tax/Community Charge Benefit (r)	6,646	5,450	5,606	5,676	5,643	5,684	5,705	5,755

(a) Indicates where figures are not available or were not available at time of going to print and these figures have been substituted with estimates.

(b) For contributory and non-income related benefits the number of individuals receiving benefit is shown. For Retirement Pension women receiving their own pension, based on their own or their husband's contributions, are counted separately. For Income Support, Family Credit, Housing Benefit and Council Tax/Community Charge Benefit the numbers are individuals or couples where living together. Beneficiaries may be receiving more than one benefit at a time.

(c) Information in this table has been collected in September each year, with the following exceptions: Unemployment Benefit, Income Support, Incapacity Benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance & Attendance Allowance (from 1995–96 onwards only), Disability Living Allowance, Housing Benefit & Council Tax Benefit in August of each year, Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit and Reduced Earnings Allowance in March/April of each year, Industrial Death Benefit in December, Other Industrial Injuries schemes in January/February, Jobseeker's Allowance in November, Severe Disablement Allowance & Attendance Allowance before 1995–96 in March.

(d) The figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand.

(e) From October 1996 Unemployment Benefit has been replaced by contributory based Jobseeker's Allowance.

(f) From October 1996 Income Support for the Unemployed has been replaced by income-based Jobseeker's Allowance. 1996–97 outturn figures for JSA (IB) exclude Jobseekers on government training schemes. These cases are included in the forecast figures for JSA (IB).

(g) Incapacity Benefit Short Term lower rate superseded Sickness Benefit from April 1995.

(h) Incapacity Benefit Short Term higher rate and long term rate superseded Invalidity Benefit from April 1995.

(i) Figures revised-data taken from a 1% sample of cases to 1995–96, 5% sample thereafter.

(j) The 1996–97 War Pension figures have been revised to show all pensions in payment, as shown in previous years. (k)Attendance Allowance for over age 65.

(1) Figures revised—data now taken from a 5% sample of cases.

(m) Disability Living Allowance replaced Mobility Allowance and Attendance Allowance for under 65s from April 1992.

(n) Refers to the numbers of pensions in payment and not beneficiaries. The 1992–93 and 1995–96 figures have been amended to include late returns.

(o) From October 1996–97 Income Support for the Unemployed has been replaced by income-based Jobseeker's Allowance. Claimants on government training schemes are included in the outturn figures for IS for the unemployed.

(p) From April 1997 the supplement for the eldest or only child where someone brings up children alone, formerly known as One Parent Benefit, was incorporated into main Child Benefit rates. This new higher rate of Child Benefit is known as Child Benefit (Lone Parent).

(q) There is a significant overlap; most households getting assistance with Housing Benefit will also have been in receipt of Council Tax Benefit.

(r) Community Charge Benefit was replaced by Council Tax Benefit from April 1993, Council Tax Benefit includes second adult rebates. Additional information on benefit caseload can be obtained from the annual publication 'Social Security Statistics' (published by HMSO) or by contacting: Department of Social Security, Analytical Services Division, Room B2711, Benton Park Road, Longbenton, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE98 1YX.

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