To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the total spend on social security in 1979–80, 1983–84, 1987–88 and 1991–92 in current and real terms; and what percentage that is of total Government spending.
The information requested is as follows:
| Social Security expenditure—£ million | |||
| Year | Expenditure in current terms | Expenditure in real terms | Expenditure as percentage of total public spending |
| 1979–80 | 589.7 | 1,371.0 | 23.7 |
| 1983–84 | 1,084.1 | 1,733.0 | 28.8 |
| 1987–88 | 1,491.8 | 1,976.4 | 30.9 |
| 1991–92 | 2,099.0 | 2,099.0 | 32.6 |
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list, for each year since 1978–79 the total number of households claiming for social security benefit, excluding the national insurance retirement pension and child benefit.
The information requested is not available.
| Year | Total benefit expenditure £ million | Total administration costs £ million | Administration costs as percentage of total benefit expenditure |
| £ million | £ million | ||
| 1980–81 | 674 | 46 | 6.8 |
| 1981–82 | 815 | 56 | 6.9 |
| 1982–83 | 938 | 61 | 6.5 |
| 1983–84 | 1,033 | 64 | 6.2 |
| 1984–85 | 1,128 | 69 | 6.1 |
| 1985–86 | 1,248 | 74 | 5.9 |
| 1986–87 | 1,354.5 | 81 | 6.0 |
| 1987–88 | 1,403.6 | 89 | 6.3 |
| 1988–89 | 1,465.6 | 87.5 | 6.0 |
| 1989–90 | 1,557.1 | 95.6 | 6.1 |
| 1990–91 | 1,704.9 | 106.5 | 6.3 |
| 1991–92 | 1,977.8 | 115.6 | 5.8 |
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the number of (a) claimants and (b) partners and dependent children on supplementary benefit or income support in each year from 1979 to the latest available date.
The information is as follows:
| Number of Claimants | Number of Dependent Partners | Number of Dependent Children | Total Number of Dependent | |
| 1979 | 115,400 | 26,300 | 64,800 | 91,100 |
| 1980 | 129,000 | 32,400 | 80,300 | 112,700 |
| 1981 | 150,000 | 38,100 | 93,600 | 131,700 |
| 1982 | 164,900 | 44,900 | 109,900 | 154,800 |
| 1983 | 174,500 | 48,800 | 117,000 | 165,800 |
| 1984 | 180,800 | 49,100 | 116,300 | 165,400 |
| 11985 | 184,200 | — | — | — |
| 1986 | 184,400 | 52,800 | 135,300 | 188,100 |
| 1987 | 190,800 | 51,800 | 134,000 | 185,800 |
| 1988 | 184,100 | 44,900 | 111,900 | 156,800 |
| 1989 | 183,400 | 42,400 | 121,900 | 164,300 |
| 1990 | 179,000 | 38,500 | 118,600 | 157,100 |
| 1 The number of claimants based on 100 per cent. count of caseload at November 1985. Statistical information on dependants is not available for the 1985 year. | ||||
Source: annual statistical exercise—five per cent. sample of caseload.
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is his latest estimate of the average percentage rise in the number of claimants receiving the main social security benefits, or expected to claim, in the years 1978–79 to 1992–93.
The information requested is as follows:
| Year | Caseload | Percentage yearly rise |
| 1978–79 | 982,000 | — |
| 1979–80 | 974,000 | -0.8 |
| 1980–81 | 1,011,900 | +3.9 |
| 1981–82 | 1,054,200 | +4.2 |
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will give the total administration costs as a percentage of benefit expenditure for social security for each year from 1978–79 to the latest year available.
The information requested is as follows. Administration costs for the years 1978–79 and 1979–80 are not available. The figures for administration cost include the costs of services provided by other Departments.
| Year | Caseload | Percentage yearly rise |
| 1982–83 | 1,019,300 | -3.3 |
| 1983–84 | 1,290,200 | +1.0 |
| 1984–85 | 1,311,200 | +1.6 |
| 1985–86 | 1,316,000 | +0.4 |
| 1986–87 | 1,323,300 | +0.6 |
| 1987–88 | 1,342,200 | +1.4 |
| 1988–89 | 1,305,500 | -2.7 |
| 1989–90 | 1,299,600 | -0.5 |
| 1990–91 | 1,308,700 | +0.7 |
| 1991–92 | 1,431,300 | +5.4 |
| 1992–93 | 1,509,600 | +5.5 |
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list, for each year since 1978–79 the total amount spent on social security, excluding expenditure on the unemployed, at current prices and in 1991–92 prices, showing the real terms percentage increase or decrease.
The information requested, which is available only for the years 1983–84 onwards, is as follows:
| Expenditure on Social Security excluding the unemployed | |||
| Year | Current prices £000s | 1991–92 prices £000s | Percentage increase or decrease |
| 1983–84 | 835.2 | 1,335.1 | |
| 1984–85 | 945.3 | 1,439.1 | +7.9 |
| 1985–86 | 1,027.2 | 1,482.1 | +3.0 |
| 1986–87 | 1,108.2 | 1,548.1 | +4.5 |
| 1987–88 | 1,198.2 | 1,587.4 | +2.5 |
| 1988–89 | 1,255.7 | 1,552.1 | -2.2 |
| 1989–90 | 1,393.4 | 1,617.4 | +4.2 |
| 1990–91 | 1,536.4 | 1,643.9 | +1.6 |
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the total amount spent on social security, in current prices and at 1991–92 prices, for each year since 1978–79; and what was the percentage real-terms increase or decrease in each year.
The information requested is as follows:
| Social Security Expenditure | |||
| Year | Current prices £000s | 1991–92 prices £000s | Percentage increase/decrease |
| 1978–79 | 497.0 | 1,3482 | |
| 1979–80 | 589.7 | 1,371.0 | 1.7 |
| 1980–81 | 716.9 | 1,408.6 | 2.8 |
| 1981–82 | 865.0 | 1,549.9 | 10.0 |
| 1982–83 | 994. | 1,663.4 | 7.3 |
| 1983–84 | 1,084.1 | 1,733.0 | 4.2 |
| 1984–85 | 1,191.0 | 1,813.2 | 4.6 |
| 1985–86 | 1,298.7 | 1,873.8 | 3.3 |
| 1986–87 | 1,411.5 | 1,971.7 | 5.0 |
| 1987–88 | 1,491.8 | 1,976.4 | 0.2 |
| 1988–89 | 1,555.0 | 1,922.1 | -2.8 |
| 1989–90 | 1,659.7 | 1,926.6 | 0.2 |
| 1990–91 | 1,814.1 | 1,941.1 | 0.8 |
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will give, for the years 1979–80 and the latest year available, in cash terms and at 1991–92 prices, the social security spending on (a) elderly people, (b) sick and disabled people, (c) families, (d) unemployed people and (e) orphans and widows indicating the number of claimants in each category, and dependants in the household, and the percentage change in spending in real terms.
The information available is as follows:
| Social security spending in cash terms and at 1991–92 prices—£000 | |||||
| Cash prices | |||||
| Year | Elderly | Sick and disabled | Families | Unemployed | Widows and orphans |
| 1979–80 | 219,475 | 115,892 | 128,492 | 71,320 | 22,136 |
| 1990–91 | 578,000 | 374,000 | 338,000 | 251,000 | 31,000 |
| 1991–92 prices and percentage change in spending in real terms | |||||
| Year | Elderly | Sick and disabled | Families | Unemployed | Widows and orphans |
| 1979–80 | 595,386 | 314,389 | 335,009 | 193,475 | 60,050 |
| 1990–91 | 618,460 | 400,180 | 361,660 | 268,570 | 33,170 |
| Change | +3.9 | +27.3 | +8.0 | +38.8 | -44.8 |