HC Deb 10 April 2002 vol 383 cc231-2W
Mr. Clappison

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of the population received means tested benefits(a)in 1997 and (b)according to the most recent figures available. [40295]

Malcolm Wicks

Overall, the proportion of people aged 16 and over receiving income-related benefits has fallen from 17.5 per cent. to 16 per cent. between May 1997 and May 2000.

Notes:

  1. 1. Income-related benefits/tax credits are defined as income support, income-based jobseeker's allowance, housing benefit, council tax benefit (plus disability working allowance and family credit for May 1997 only and working families tax credit and disabled persons tax credit for May 2000).
  2. 2. The data refer to claims for income tested benefits, which may be a single person, a couple or a family. More than one person can live in one property, for example two or more adults in a flat or house share arrangement.
  3. 3. Overlaps between benefits/tax credits have been removed.

Mr. Willetts

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list each way in which benefit recipients can have their benefit income reduced because of a sanction; and how many people have been subject to each of these sanctions during the last year for which figures are available. [24239]

Malcolm Wicks

Information on how people's benefit income may be reduced because of a sanction is contained in the Decision Makers Guide, a copy of which is available in the Library.

The available information on the number of people who have been subject to a sanction is in the table.

Type of sanction Numbers of people subject to sanctions
Community sentence 37
Income support—lone parents who fail to participate in a meeting with a personal adviser 765
Jobseeker's allowance 24,100

Notes:

1. Community Sentence data are based on clerical returns received at the DWP Information Centre between 15 October 2001 and 26 March 2002. Figures are unrounded.

2. Percentage figure on community sentence is not available, as the number of offenders on community orders in receipt of income support, jobseeker's allowance or training allowance is unknown.

3. Income support data for lone parents are based on a 100 per cent. count taken from the Labour Market Computer System between 9 April 2001 and 22 February 2002.

4. Jobseeker's allowance data are taken from a 5 per cent. scan of the benefit computer system. The figures in the table represent a snapshot as at 8 November 2001 of the number of jobseekers where a sanction has been applied.

Mr. Willetts

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the total weekly benefit savings are for each local authority in(a)1999–2000, (b)2000–01 and (c)each quarter of 2001–02. [42515]

Malcolm Wicks

The information requested has been placed in the Library. From April all local authorities will be operating within our new anti-fraud incentive scheme that provides a broader range of financial incentives to prevent, detect, punish and prosecute fraud than did the old weekly benefit savings scheme.

Mr. Webb

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the(a)number and (b)total value of emergency benefit payments issued in each month since 1997. [42180]

Mr. Nicholas Brown

[holding answer 11 March 2002]:This is a matter for Alexis Cleveland, Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. She will write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Alexis Cleveland to Mr. Steve Webb, dated 13 March 2002: The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has asked me to respond to your recent Parliamentary Question asking if he will estimate the (a) number and (b) total value of emergency benefit payments issued in each month since 1997. Information held centrally records the total number of clerical payments that have been issued. This is not possible broken down into categories and the amount of the payments is not recorded. It is not therefore possible to estimate how many payments were for emergency payments or the amount that has been paid. Emergency payments vary depending on individual customer's circumstances. I'm sorry that I cannot be more helpful.