HC Deb 24 July 2002 vol 389 cc1589-92W
Mr. Frank Field

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the number and size of deductions which have been

Number of deductions made to benefits to repay fines in Great Britain from 1992–93 to 2001–02.
Thousands
Total Income Support(IS) Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA(IB))
All Female Male All Female Male All Female Male
1992–93 *0.2 *0.2 .. *0.2 *0.2 – .. .. ..
1993–94 4.2 1.6 2.7 4.2 1.6 2.7 .. .. ..
1994–95 7.8 2.7 5.1 7.8 2.7 5.1 .. .. ..
1995–96 10.6 4.1 6.5 10.6 4.1 6.5 .. .. ..
1996–97 18.1 6.9 11.2 14.2 6.6 7.6 7.9 0.5 7.4
1997–98 21.2 8.5 12.7 13.5 8.0 5.5 7.7 *0.4 7.3
1998–99 18.7 8.0 10.6 12.5 7.4 5.0 6.2 0.6 5.6
1999–2000 17.6 7.7 9.9 12.5 7.3 5.1 5.2 *0.4 4.8
2000–01 16.9 7.4 9.5 12.4 6.9 5.5 4.4 *0.4 4.0
2001–02 17.4 8.3 9.1 13.6 7.9 5.7 3.8 *0.5 3.4

Average amount of deductions made to benefits to repay fines in Great Britain from 1992–93 to 2001–02.
£ per week
Total IS JSA (IB)
All Female Male All Female Male All Female Male
1992–93 *4.58 *4.58 — *4.58 *4.58 — .. .. ..
1993–94 2.20 2.21 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.19 .. .. ..
1994–95 2.30 2.29 2.31 2.30 2.29 2.31 .. .. ..
1995–96 2.34 2.33 2.35 2.34 2.33 2.35 .. .. ..
1996–97 2.39 2.39 2.40 2.39 2.39 2.39 2.40 2.40 2.40
1997–98 2.50 2.49 2.50 2.50 2.49 2.51 2.50 *2.50 2.50
1998–99 2.54 2.54 2.54 2.54 2.54 2.54 2.55 2.55 2.55
1999–2000 2.59 2.58 2.59 2.59 2.58 2.59 2.60 *2.60 2.60
2000–01 2.64 2.63 2.64 2.64 2.63 2.64 2.65 *2.65 2.65
2001–02 2.69 2.68 2.69 2.68 2.68 2.69 2.70 *2.70 2.70

Number of deductions made to benefits to repay council tax arrears in Great Britain from 1993–94 to 2001–0210.
Thousands
Total IS JSA (IB)
All Female Male All Female Male All Female Male
1993–94 7.0 3.1 4.0 7.0 3.1 4.0 .. .. ..
1994–95 30.1 15.0 15.1 30.1 15.0 15.1 .. .. ..
1995–96 91.6 48.1 43.5 91.6 48.1 43.5 .. .. ..
1996–97 131.6 71.7 59.9 112.9 68.8 44.1 37.4 5.8 31.5
1997–98 148.2 87.6 60.7 114.8 82.1 32.7 33.5 5.5 27.9
1998–99 161.0 95.7 65.3 125.6 89.7 35.9 35.4 5.9 29.5
1999–2000 169.4 103.7 65.7 136.1 98.1 38.0 33.4 5.6 27.7
2000–01 192.4 121.5 70.9 160.9 115.7 45.1 31.5 5.7 25.8
2001–02 210.7 135.6 75.1 182.2 130.7 51.5 28.6 4.9 23.6

compulsorily made to benefits to help pay (a) fines, (b) council tax arrears, (c) child support arrears and (d) mortgage interest in each of the last 10 years, broken down by sex. [66728]

Malcolm Wicks

[holding answer 04 July 2002]: The available information is in the tables.

Average amount of deductions made to benefits to repay council tax arrears in Great Britain from 1993–94 to 2001–0210.
£per week
Total IS JSA (IB)
All Female Male All Female Male All Female Male
1993–94 2.20 2.20 2.19 2.20 2.20 2.19 .. .. ..
1994–95 2.29 2.29 2.29 2.29 2.29 2.29 .. .. ..
1995–96 2.34 2.34 2.34 2.34 2.34 2.34 .. .. ..
1996–97 2.38 2.38 2.38 2.38 2.38 2.38 2.39 2.40 2.39
1997–98 2.48 2.48 2.49 2.48 2.48 2.48 2.49 2.49 2.49
1998–99 2.54 2.55 2.54 2.54 2.55 2.53 2.55 2.55 2.55
1999–2000 2.60 2.59 2.61 2.60 2.59 2.61 2.60 2.60 2.60
2000–01 2.64 2.64 2.64 2.63 2.64 2.63 2.65 2.65 2.64
2001–02 2.69 2.68 2.70 2.69 2.68 2.71 2.70 2.70 2.70

Number of deductions made to benefits to repay mortgage interest in Great Britain from 1992–93 to 2001–0211.
Thousands
Total IS JSA (IB)
All Female Male All Female Male All Female Male
1992–93 44.0 20.2 23.8 44.0 20.2 23.8 .. .. ..
1993–94 452.5 189.6 262.9 452.5 189.6 262.9 .. .. ..
1994–95 437.4 197.9 239.5 437.4 197.9 239.5 .. .. ..
1995–96 430.7 202.7 228.0 430.7 202.7 228.0 .. .. ..
1996–97 398.0 194.4 203.6 353.3 186.9 166.4 89.5 15.1 74.3
1997–98 337.4 174.9 162.5 276.7 163.9 112.9 60.6 11.1 49.6
1998–99 308.2 161.0 147.2 260.1 151.7 108.4 48.1 9.3 38.8
1999–2000 280.7 147.2 133.5 240.6 139.2 101.5 40.1 8.0 32.1
2000–01 259.3 135.8 123.5 230.1 130.2 99.9 29.2 5.6 23.6
2001–02 242.2 127.8 114.4 221.3 123.8 97.5 20.9 4.0 17.0

Average amount of deductions made to benefits to repay mortgage interest in Great Britain from 1992–93 to 2001–02.
£per week
Total IS JSA (IB)
All Female Male All Female Male All Female Male
1992–93 45.56 44.36 46.58 45.56 44.36 46.58 .. .. ..
1993–94 42.00 37.45 45.27 42.00 37.45 45.27 .. .. ..
1994–95 39.19 36.33 41.55 39.19 36.33 41.55 .. .. ..
1995–96 41.16 39.03 43.04 41.16 39.03 43.04 .. .. ..
1996–97 35.87 34.76 36.92 35.19 34.63 35.83 41.19 37.92 41.85
1997–98 33.93 33.63 34.25 32.89 33.56 31.92 38.65 34.61 39.55
1998–99 38.00 37.74 38.27 37.23 37.77 36.46 42.17 37.27 43.34
1999–2000 31.10 30.77 31.46 30.35 30.73 29.82 35.64 31.51 36.66
2000–01 35.33 35.06 35.63 34.75 35.08 34.32 39.95 34.71 41.19
2001–02 32.86 32.50 33.25 32.34 32.50 32.14 38.26 32.45 39.63
1Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred and are expressed in thousands.
2Figures are based on a 1 per cent. sample up to and including February 1993, and a 5 per cent. sample thereafter. Numbers are therefore subject to a degree of sampling variation.
3Numbers and amounts marked "*" are based on very few sample cases and are therefore subject to a high degree of sampling variation. They should be considered a guide to the current situation only.
4"–' indicates figures are nil or negligible.
5"..'indicates figures are not applicable.
6JSA(IB) figures will include cases where there is an underlying entitlement to contribution-based JSA.
7IS figures for 1992–93 are based on May 1992 data and represent cases and average amounts in that enquiry week. IS Figures from 1993–94 are based on a four quarter average of caseloads and average amounts paid at the enquiry dates in May, August, November and February of each year. JSA(IB) figures are a four quarter average, with the exception of 1996–97 which is based on two quarters (November and February) following the introduction of JSA(IB) to replace IS for the unemployed in October 1996.
8The component IS/JSA(IB) totals for 1996–97 do not sum to the overall total, due to the method used to calculate the averages over two and four quarters. The overall total is however representative of the total caseload.
9Totals may not sum due to rounding.
10Data were only collected from 1994 onwards.
11The number of deductions for mortgage interest payments rose sharply between May 1992 and May 1993 following the introduction of mandatory deductions at the end of 1992.
12Council tax replaced Community Charge in 1993. Figures here relate solely to Council tax arrears from its introduction.
13Deductions for Council tax arrears are a last resort where other methods of payment have failed and where it is in the interest of the family in order to prevent the prosecution of the vulnerable for debt.

Sources

Income Support Annual Statistical Enquiry, May 1992.

Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiries, May 1993 to February 2002.

Jobseeker's Allowance Quarterly Statistical Enquiries, November 1996 to February 2002.