§ Mr. GorrieTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people received invalidity benefit in the last year it operated; and how many people received incapacity benefit in each of the years since it was introduced. [66631]
§ Mr. BayleyIncapacity Benefit replaced Sickness Benefit and Invalidity Benefit on 13 April 1995. The short-term higher and long-term rates of Incapacity Benefit are equivalent to Invalidity Benefit. The available information is set out in the table.
Number of recipients of Invalidity Benefit/short-term higher and long-term Incapacity Benefit at the end of the statistical year Year Number 1994–95 1,766,900 1995–96 1,692,400 1996–97 1,632,060 1997–98 1,561,740 Note:
The 1994–95 statistical year ended 12 April 1995. From 1995–96 onwards the end of the statistical year is the last day in February.
Source:
DSS—Invalidity Benefit—1 per cent. sample of all claimants
DSS—Incapacity Benefit—5 per cent. computer sample, excludes a small number of cases not on the system