Council Tax Benefit (Hansard, 9 July 2003)

§ Mr. Pond

The fall in the number of council tax benefit recipients over the past decade has been driven mainly by a fall in the number of elderly and unemployed benefit recipients.

This can be explained by a general increase in affluence among the elderly. And due to the strong and stable economy we have built, there are more people in work than ever before. The number of unemployed council tax benefit recipients has fallen over the period in line with the fall in unemployment.

The information of the number of council tax benefit recipients is in the table.

Number of households in Great Britain receiving council tax benefit in each year since 1991–92
	Council tax benefit recipients
1991–92	6,366,000
1992–93	6,704,000
1993–94	5,417,000
1994–95	5,560,000
1995–96	5,638,000
1996–97	5,563,000
1997–98	5,426,000
1998–99	5,257,000
1999–2000	5,022,000
2000–01	4,731,000
2001–02	4,636,000
2002–03	4,591,000

Notes:

1. The figures are four quarter averages of caseloads taken in May, August, November and February of each financial year.

2. The figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand.

3. The data refer to households claiming council tax benefit, which may be a single person, a couple or a family. More than one benefit household can live in one property, for example two or more adults in a flat or house share arrangement.

4. The figures include estimates for local authorities that have not responded. These estimates are based on historical and regional data. This type of estimate is standard practice in reporting totals where there have been non-respondents.

5. The figures exclude any second adult rebate cases.

6. Council tax was introduced in April 1993. Figures for 1991–92 and 1992–93 refer to community charge benefit.

Source:

Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System Quarterly 100 per cent caseload stock-counts taken May 1991 to February 2003.