Single Parents (Benefits) (Hansard, 6 May 1999)

§ Angela Eagle

The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the tables.

Information for the period before November 1995 takes no account of CSA records and is not directly comparable and is set out in the table.

Lone parents receiving Supplementary Benefit/Income Support or Family Income Supplement/Family Credit, 1968–94
	Supplementary Benefit/Income Support	Family Income Supplement/Family Credit
Year	Number of claimants (thousand)	Percentage with maintenance	Average (£ per week)	Number of claimants (thousand)	Percentage with maintenance	Average (£per week)
1968	157	¹—	¹—	¹—	¹—	¹—
1969	177	¹—	¹—	¹—	¹—	¹—
1970	191	¹—	¹—	¹—	¹—	¹—
1971	213	58.5	¹—	15	¹—	¹—
1972	227	59.2	¹—	33	¹—	¹—
1973	228	¹—	¹—	41	¹—	¹—
1974	245	58.7	¹—	39	¹—	¹—
1975	233	65.2	¹—	30	¹—	¹—
1976	303	56.4	¹—	31	¹—	¹—
1977	309	55.6	¹—	37	¹—	¹—
1978	322	53.2	¹—	41	¹—	¹—
1979	306	51.5	¹—	38	¹—	¹—
1980	316	48.4	¹—	50	¹—	¹—
1981	369	46.3	¹—	59	¹—	¹—
1982	415	41.3	¹—	66	¹—	¹—
1983	449	36.9	¹—	79	¹—	¹—
1984	492	32.0	¹—	81	¹—	¹—
1985	¹—	¹—	¹—	82	¹—	¹—
1986	575	28.4	¹—	84	¹—	¹—
1987	629	25.5	¹—	92	¹—	¹—
1988	694	22.1	¹—	94	¹—	¹—
1989	756	22.2	¹—	114	27.2	17.82
1990	793	20.4	18.88	122	25.5	18.64
1991	871	20.9	20.12	132	26.0	20.22
1992	957	19.4	22.41	160	26.5	23.07
1993	1,013	17.5	22.32	208	28.2	25.04
1994	1,039	14.3	25.43	236	30.0	26.50
¹— Denotes information not available

Notes

1. Numbers are rounded to the nearest thousand, percentages to one decimal point.
2. Numbers are given at a point in time. From Supplementary Benefit/Income Support from 1969 to 1974 and 1977 to 1979 the month was November. For 1975, 1976 and 1980 to 1984 the month was December. In 1986 and 1996 the month was February and from 1987 –94 the month was May. For Family Income Supplement 1971 figures are for August and all other figures represent May.
3. Proportion receiving maintenance may be subject to a degree of double counting of around 1 per cent. around quoted figures prior to 1990.
4. Family Credit replaced Family Income Supplement in April 1988.
5. Income Support replaced Supplementary Benefit in April 1988.
6. Supplementary Benefit/Income Support single parents from 1988 onwards are defined as single people with dependants not receiving a disability or pensioner premium. The equivalent statistical group has been used prior to 1988.
7. Supplementary Benefit/Income Support figures are based on a sample size of 1 in 40 between 1969 and 1976, 1 in 50 between 1977 and 1987, 1 in 100 between 1988 and 1993 and 5 per cent. thereafter. Family Income Supplement/Family Credit figures are based on a 20 per cent. sample up to 1973, a 10 per cent. sample from 1974 to 1988 and a 5 per cent. sample from 1989.
8. Supplementary Benefit/Income Support cases with maintenance are based on maintenance received by either the claimant or the Department as either a Court Order or a voluntary payment.
9. Figures are not available in 1985 due to industrial action.

Sources

1. Supplementary Benefit Statistics Annual Enquiries 1969 –87.
2. Income Support Statistics Annual Enquiries, 1988 –93.
3. Social Security Statistics 1972, 1976, 1977, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1988 and 1989.
4. Family Credit Statistics 5 per cent. sample of awards.