§ Mr. FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will breakdown the total of one in three persons living in households claiming at least one major means-tested benefit by the type of benefit claimed. [76208]
§ Angela Eagle[holding answer 12 March 1999]This Department's latest estimates do not suggest a total of one in three persons living in households claiming at least one major means-tested benefit.
792W
Number of people claiming means-tested benefits as percentage of total population Benefit(s) Number of people as percentage of total population Housing Benefit only 1 Council Tax Benefit only 3 Income Support only 3 Family Credit only 0 Housing Benefit and Family Credit only — Council Tax Benefit and Family Credit only — Income Support and Family Credit only — Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit only 4 Housing Benefit and Income Support only 1 Council Tax Benefit and Income Support only 3 Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit and Family Credit only 1 Housing Benefit, Income Support and Family Credit only — Council Tax Benefit, Income Support and Family Credit only — Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit and Income Support only 11
Number of people claiming means-tested benefits as percentage of total population Benefit(s) Number of people as percentage of total population Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit, Income Support and Family Credit — Any of the above means-tested benefits 26 Notes:
1. A "major means-tested benefit" was defined as being one of Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit, Income Support (including Income Support for the unemployed, before October 1996), Family Credit or Jobseeker's Allowance (Income Based, from October 1996 onwards). However, on the 1996–97 Family Resources Survey dataset, it was not possible to distinguish Unemployment Benefit from Jobseeker's Allowance (Income Based), which was introduced in October 1996. Thus, Jobseeker's Allowance (Income Based) has not been included in analyses in the table. Analysis of the Family Resources Survey from April to September 1996 (inclusive) show that the proportion of people in households in receipt of at least one of the four means tested benefits given in the table was 27 per cent.
2. Estimates are subject to sampling error and to variability in non-response. Receipt of Social Security benefits are also based on respondents' own assessment and may be subject to misreporting.
3. Percentages are rounded to the nearest integer. The symbol "—" indicates less than 0.5 per cent.
Source:
1996–97 Family Resources Survey (GB).