HC Deb 29 October 1999 vol 336 cc1025-6W
Mr. O'Hara

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioners receive(a) Income Support, (b) Housing Benefit and (c) Council Tax Benefit in each region of the UK. [95659]

Mr. Rooker

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

Pensioners in receipt of income support, housing benefit and council tax benefit by region, Great Britain, May 1998
Thousand
Income Support Housing Benefit Council Tax Benefit
North East 92 115 151
North West 234 228 349
Yorks and Humberside 160 186 261
East Midlands 111 120 180
West Midlands 172 175 270
Eastern 126 146 210
London 204 231 288
South East 168 188 257
South West 128 124 191
Wales 94 88 134
Scotland 169 225 303
Great Britain 1,659 1,826 2,593

Notes:

  1. 1. Pensioners are defined as benefit units where either the claimant and/or the partner is aged 60 or over.
  2. 2. Figures are for benefit units which may be a single person or a couple.
  3. 3. The Income Support figures are based on a 5 per cent. sample of Income Support claimants, the Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit figures are based on a 1 per cent. sample and as such figures are subject to a degree of sampling error.
  4. 4. Numbers are rounded to the nearest thousand.
  5. 5. The data for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit are provisional and may be subject to change.

Sources:

  1. 1. Income Support Statistics Quarterly Enquiry, May 1998. Later Income Support data are held, the Income Support Statistics Quarterly Enquiry May 1999 refers.
  2. 2. Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System Annual 1 per cent. Sample for Great Britain as at 14 May 1998.

Pensioners in Northern Ireland in receipt of income support as at 31 August 1999 and housing benefit as at 31 May 1999
Number
Income support August 1999 71,308
Housing benefit May 1999 46,012

Notes:

  1. 1. Pensioners are defined as benefit units where either the claimant and/or the partner is aged 60.
  2. 2. Figures are for benefit units which may be a single person or a couple.
  3. 3. Figures are based on a 100 per cent. scan of Income Support claimants as at August 1999 and Housing Benefit Claimants as at May 1999, for Northern Ireland.

Sources:

  1. 1. Income Support—General Matching Service 100 per cent. scan, August 1999.
  2. 2. Housing Benefit—Northern Ireland Housing Executive 100 per cent. scan, May 1999.

Mr. Willetts

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioners are not yet receiving their full benefit entitlement because of NIRSII computer problems. [96278]

Mr. Rooker

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Answer the then Minister of State, my hon. Friend the Member for East Ham (Mr. Timms), gave the hon. Member for Northavon (Mr. Webb) on 22 July 1999,Official Report, columns 575–76.