HC Deb 02 March 2000 vol 345 cc353-5W
Mr. Field

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the average number of children in single parent families claiming income support/ supplementary benefit for each of the last 30 years. [112158]

Mr. Bayley

The information is in the table.

Average number of children in supplementary benefit/income support lone parent families, 1969–99
Year Average number of children
1969 1.95
1970 1.93
1971 1.97
1972 1.92
1973 n/a
1974 1.94
1975 1.90
1976 1.89
1977 1.85
1978 1.80
1979 1.76
1980 1.73
1981 1.68
1982 1.69
1983 1.66
1984 1.65
1985 n/a
1986 1.64
1987 1.65
1988 1.68
1989 1.65
1990 1.68
1991 1.68
1992 1.69
1993 1.70
1994 1.72
1995 1.73
1996 1.74
1997 1.76
1998 1.77
1999 May 1.78
1999 November (latest) 1.79

Notes:

1. Lone parents are classified as single claimants with dependants who are not receiving the disability or pensioner premium. Children are classified as aged 0–15 years.

2. The average number of children per lone parent family, is based on the Income Support lone parent caseload as a proportion of the total number of children in such families.

3. Average number of children figures have been rounded to 2 decimal places.

4. All numbers are given at a point in time. For 1969–74 and 1977–79 the month was November, for 1975–76 and 1980–84 the month was December, for 1986 the month was February, and for 1987 to the present time the month was May.

5. n/a = information not available.

6. Supplementary Benefit was replaced by Income Support in 1988.

Sources:

Income Support Statistics Annual Enquiries, 1969 to 1993.

Income Support Statistics Quarterly Enquiries, 1994 to 1999.

Mr. Field

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentage of single parents were drawing income support or supplementary benefit in each of the last 30 years. [112166]

Mr. Bayley

The information is in the table.

Percentage of lone parents receiving Supplementary Benefit/Income Support (IS), 1971–99
Year Percentage of IS lone parents receiving benefit
1971 37
1972 n/a
1973 n/a
1974 n/a
1975 n/a
1976 40
1977 n/a
1978 39
1979 36
1980 36
1981 41
1982 45
1983 48
1984 52
1985 n/a
1986 57
1987 60
1988 64
1989 65
1990 64
1991 67
1992 70
1993 70
1994 69
1995 68
1996 66
1997 63
1998 60
1999 58
19991 58
1 November (latest)

Notes:

1. Numbers are given at a point in time. For 1971–74 and 1977–79 the month was November, for 1975–76 and 1980–84 the month was December, for 1986 the month was February, and for 1987 to the present time the month was May.

2. Lone parents are classified as single claimants with dependants who are not receiving the disability or pensioner premium.

3. Sample sizes: 1971–76 Supplementary Pension cases 1 in 160 and Supplementary Benefit cases 1 in 40 1977–87 Supplementary Pension cases 1 in 200 and Supplementary Benefit cases 1 in 50 1988–92 1 in 100 1993–99 1 in 20.

4. Supplementary Benefit was replaced by Income Support in 1988.

5. "N/A' information not available.

6. Population estimates upon which percentages have been based— official best estimates of the numbers of one parent families published in population trends—for the years 1995 and 1996 are provisional. These official best estimates are not available for 1983, 1997 and subsequent years; the best estimate for 1982 has been used for the 1983 percentage and the provisional best estimate for 1996 used for subsequent years from 1996.

Source:

Income Support Statistics Annual Enquiries, 1971 to 1993.

Income Support Statistics Quarterly Enquiries, 1994 to 1999.

Official Best Estimates from Population Trends.