asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people in the London borough of Southwark have been in receipt of (a) supplementary benefit and (b) housing in each year since 1979.
The numbers of people receiving supplementary benefit in the London borough of Southwark in the years 1981—the earliest figures available—to 1985—the latest figures available—were:
| Number | |
| 1981 | 24,000 |
| 1982 | 29,000 |
| 1983 | 30,000 |
| 1984 | 32,000 |
| 1985 | 34,000 |
Source: Supplementary Benefit Quarterly Statistical Inquiry. Figures rounded to nearest 1,000.
The number of people who were in receipt of housing benefit or rebates or allowances under the former Department of the Environment schemes in the London borough of Southwark is as follows:
Number
| |
| 1979–80 | 10,566 |
| 1980–81 | 12,583 |
| 1981–82 | 19,829 |
1 1982–83 | 33,799 |
| 1983–84 | 39,309 |
2 1984–85 | 38,159 |
2 1985–86 | 45,384 |
2 1986–87 | 36,610 |
Source: CIPFA housing rent statistics and local authority subsidy returns. | |
1 The housing benefit scheme, which replaced the rent and rate rebates scheme was partially introduced in November 1982 and fully implemented in April 1983. | |
2 The figures from 1984–85 are subject to revision. | |
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people in (a) Burnley constituency and (b) Pendle constituency have been in receipt of (i) supplementary benefit and (ii) housing benefit in each year since 1979.
The constituencies of Burnley and Pendle are covered by the Department's local office at Burnley. The table shows the number of people receiving supplementary benefit from that office on 10 February 1987 and on comparable dates since 1979. Separate figures for the Burnley and Pendle constituencies cannot be provided.
| Number | |
| 1979 | 10,483 |
| 1980 | 9,972 |
| 1981 | 11,586 |
| 1982 | 13,478 |
| 1983 | 15,561 |
| 1984 | 16,020 |
| 1985 | 16,504 |
| 1986 | 16,463 |
| 1987 | 16,857 |
Source: 100 per cent, count of cases in action.
The estimated numbers of people who were in receipt of housing benefit or rebates or allowances under the former Department of the Environment schemes in the boroughs of Burnley and Pendle are as follows:
Burnley
| Pendle
| |
| 1979–80 | 5,332 | 5,460 |
| 1980–81 | 5,874 | 5,635 |
| 1981–82 | 6,387 | 5,857 |
| 1982–831 | 9,038 | 8,709 |
| 1983–84 | 13,206 | 12,925 |
| 1984–85 | 11,011 | 12,952 |
| 1985–862 | 10,720 | 13,065 |
| 1986–872 | 10,765 | 12,670 |
Source: CIPFA housing rent statistics and local authority subsidy returns. | ||
1 The housing benefit scheme, which replaced the rent and rate rebate scheme, was partially introduced in November 1982 and fully implemented in April 1983. | ||
2 The figures from 1985–86 are subject to revision. | ||
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many claimants received payments for additional- requirements at local offices in (a) Scotland, (b) Strathclyde region and (c) Greenock and Port Glasgow in each of the past five years.
In 1984 (the latest year for which this information is available) 298,000 supplementary benefit claimants in Scotland were receiving an additional requirement. A comparable figure for 1983 is not immediately available but I shall let the hon. Member have a further reply with this information as soon as possible. The information for earlier years could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. I regret that the other information requested is not available.
Source:1984 Annual statistical inquiry.
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many new claims for supplementary benefit were registered in local offices in (a) Scotland, (b) Strathclyde region and (c) Greenock and Port Glasgow in each year since 1980 by claimants aged under 25 years.
| (a) | (b) | (c) | (d) | |
| Year (April to April) | Scotland | Strathclyde | Greenock | Port Glasgow |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 1979–80 | 10,019,290 | 6,626,140 | 103,447 | 90,184 |
| 1980–81 | 14,123,563 | 9,847,098 | 289,568 | 199,653 |
| 1981–82 | 12,375,533 | 7,906,488 | 215,181 | 108,610 |
| 1982–83 | 22,670,751 | 15,454,679 | 413,061 | 272,372 |
| 1983–84 | 37,067,373 | 24,936,115 | 589,042 | 366,898 |
| 1984–85 | 54,250,887 | 36,927,066 | 852,311 | 531,208 |
| 1985–861 | 71,053,317 | 48,170,412 | 1,106,074 | 766,240 |
| 1986–872 | 65,153,217 | 46,200,967 | 1,501,307 | 844,651 |
| 1 Figures for 1985–86 are provisional. | ||||
| 2 Figures for 1986–87 are provisional and cover the period to 10 February 1987 only. | ||||
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many appeals against decisions relating to single payments for those people on supplementary benefit are currently being dealt with by the local officer serving (a) Scotland, (b) Strathclyde region and (c) Greenock and Port Glasgow; and what were the comparable numbers for one year ago.
National administrative statistics for social security appeals are not disaggregated below regional
I regret that the information requested is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the average weekly payment of supplementary benefit paid to claimants aged under 25 years in (a) Scotland, (b) Strathclyde region and (c) Greenock and Port Glasgow.
Information is not immediately available about the average weekly payment of supplementary benefit paid to claimants aged under 25 years in Scotland but I shall let the hon. Member have a further reply as soon as possible. Informal ion about Strathclyde region and Greenock and Port Glasgow is not available.
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the total amount paid to social security claimants in (a) Scotland, (b) Strathclyde region and (c) Greenock and Port Glasgow for additional requirements in each year since 1979.
In 1984 (the latest year for which this information is available) supplementary benefit claimants in Scotland received additional requirements amounting to about £50 million. A comparable figure for 1983 is not immediately available but I shall give the hon. Member a further reply as soon as possible; however, those for earlier years could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. I regret that the other information requested is not available.
Source: annual statistical inquiry.
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the total amount paid to social security claimants in (a) Scotland. (b) Strathclyde region and (c) Greenock and Port Glasgow for single payments in each year since 1979.
The total amounts paid as single payments for each year since 1979 to claimants in (a) Scotland, (b) Strathclyde region, (c) Greenock and (d) Fort Glasgow are given in the table.level. The most recent figures available are for the quarter ended 30 June 1986, when the total number of appeals relating to supplementary benefit single payments awaiting a decision in Scotland was 10,303, compared to 7,617 for the quarter ended 30 June 1985.
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many persons resident in Newcastle upon Tyne, North constituency are at present in receipt of social security benefits.
Information is not available in the precise form requested. Newcastle upon Tyne, North constituency is covered by the Department's local office of Newcastle St. James but its boundaries are not conterminous with those of the constituency.On 10 February 1987–the latest figures available—the numbers of people receiving locally administered social security benefits from that office were:
| Number | |
| Sickness and Invalidity Benefit | 3,714 |
| Maternity Allowance | 293 |
| Severe Disablement Allowance | 779 |
| Supplementary Benefit | 16,987 |
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the total number of people in receipt of unemployment benefit and supplementary benefit in St. Helens, South at the latest date available.
The information is not available in the precise form requested. St. Helens South constituency is covered by three unemployment benefit offices at St. Helens A and B, and Widnes, and by the Department's local office at St. Helens. The boundaries are not conterminous with those of the constituency. The number of persons receiving unemployment benefit and supplementary benefit from these offices were:
| At 14 August 1986 | |||
| UB only | UB and SA | SA only | |
| St. Helens 'A' UBO | 1,219 | 275 | 3,593 |
| St. Helens 'B' UBO | 1,150 | 218 | 3,225 |
| Widnes UBO | 941 | 228 | 2,688 |
| At 10 February 1987 | ||
| SA | SP | |
| At 10 February 1987 | ||
| St. Helens DHSS office | 5,534 | 5,534 |
| 1979 | Percentage of all supplementary benefit recipients | 1987+ | Percentage of all supplementary benefit recipients | |
| West midlands | 126,331 | 44·1 | 379,680 | 69·4 |
| Black country | 26,623 | 38·9 | 83,647 | 68·1 |
| Walsall | 6,381 | 40·9 | 21,967 | 70·5 |
Source: 100 per cent, count of cases in action.
The west midlands region was merged with part of east midlands and East Anglia region in 1982 to form the present midlands region. But for the sake of consistency, the table shows, for 1987, the total figures for those offices which were formerly part of west midlands region.
Notes:
- SA = Supplementary Allowance
- SP = Supplementary Pension
- 12:
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the total amount of supplementary benefit paid out to Welsh claimants in each of the past seven years.
The information is as follows:
| Financial Year | £ million3 |
| 1979–80 | 125 |
| 1980–81 | 170 |
| 1981–82 | 275 |
| 1982–83 | 358 |
| 1983–84 | 1 334 |
| 2 1984–85 | 374 |
| Notes: | |
| 1 Reduction because, with the introduction of housing benefit, most financial support for housing costs is now provided through that scheme. | |
| 2 Latest available date. | |
| 3 Estimate. | |
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the number and percentage of those of working age in receipt of supplementary benefit in (a) the west midlands region, (b) the black country area of the west midlands and (c) the borough of Walsall in May 1979 and at present.
[pursuant to his reply, 19 February 1987, c. 823]: The black country area of the west midlands is covered by eight of the Department's local offices at Dudley North and South, Smethwick, Walsall East and West, West Bromwich and Wolverhampton North and South. The borough of Walsall is covered by the two Walsall local offices.The number of people of working age receiving supplementary benefit in
(a) the west midlands region, (b) the black country area of the west midlands and (c) the borough of Walsall, on 15 May 1979 and 10 February 1987–the latest available figures—and the percentage of all supplementay benefit recipients in those areas on those dates were: