HC Deb 14 April 1999 vol 329 cc277-8W
Mr. Cousins

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claimants of income support over the age of 60 years are affected by the tariff income schedule regime; and what reduction of expenditure on income support is achieved by the schedule. [80505]

Angela Eagle

The information is in the table.

Income support recipients aged over 60 years old with tariff income taken into account, average amount taken into account and estimated expenditure savings, 1997–98
Period Numbers with tariff income taken into account Average weekly amount (£) Estimated expenditure savings (£)
May 1997 78,000 6.25 6,316,000
August 1997 78,000 6,31 6,430,000

Income support recipients aged over 60 years old with tariff income taken into account, average amount taken into account and estimated expenditure savings, 1997–98
Period Numbers with tariff income taken into account Average weekly amount (£) Estimated expenditure savings (£)
November 1997 83,000 6.34 6,838,000
February 1998 89,000 6,92 7,961,000
All quarters (97–98) 27,545,000

Notes:

  1. 1. The estimate represents a four quarter total taken from the Income Support Statistics Quarterly Inquiries for May 1997 to February 1998. The quarterly inquiries are based on a 5 per cent. sample of all Income Support cases and as such are subject to a degree of sampling error.
  2. 2. Figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand and may not sum owing to rounding.
  3. 3. Reduced expenditure arising from the tariff income schedule regime has been estimated by using the average amount taken into account for tariff income cases during each quarter.

Source:

Income Support Statistics Quarterly Inquiries, May 1997-February 1998.

Mr. Cousins

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the numbers of potential claimants of income support who are prevented from qualifying for income support as a result of the tariff income schedule regime. [80506]

Angela Eagle

This information is not currently available. Estimates of the number of potential claimants prevented from qualifying for Income Support as a result of the tariff income regime are based on the data used to produce the published estimates of take-up of income related benefits. These estimates are currently being revised following the discovery in December of an error, the effect of which was to understate income brought to account, and will be republished in May.