To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many severe hardship claims were made and grants awarded in the South Durham district in each quarter since April 1991;(2) pursuant to his answer of 13 May,
Official Report, columns 540–41, if he will provide a regional breakdown of the figures for severe hardship cases.
The administration of income support is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available and a copy will be placed in the Library.
Letter from Michael Richard to Mr. Alan Milburn, dated 26 May 1993:
As Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency it is my responsibility to answer questions about relevant operational matters. I am therefore replying to your recent Parliamentary Questions to the Secretary of State for Social Security, asking how many severe hardship claims were made and grants awarded in the South Durham district in each quarter since April 1991; and pursuant to his Answer of 13th May, Official Report, columns 540–1, if he will provide a regional breakdown of the figures for severe hardship cases.
The information about severe hardship claims in South Durham is at Annex A. At Annex B I have appended a regional breakdown of successful and unsuccessful claims on a quarterly basis between January 1990 and March 1993.
This information has been obtained from the Severe Hardship Claims Unit. It should be noted that statistics relate to the number of claims made and may not equate to the number of customers.
I hope you find this reply helpful. A copy will appear in the Official Report. A copy will also be placed in the Library.
Severe hardship applications—South Durham District
| |||
Period
| Successful
| Unsuccessful
| Total
|
1991
| |||
| April to June | 39 | 15 | 54 |
| July to September | 62 | 14 | 76 |
| October to December | 73 | 13 | 76 |
1992
| |||
| January to March | 102 | 29 | 131 |
| April to June | 84 | 26 | 110 |
| July to September | 108 | 43 | 151 |
| October to December | 84 | 33 | 117 |
1993
| |||
| January to March | 103 | 37 | 140 |
Annex B
| |||
Severe Hardship Claims: North East
| |||
Period
| Awarded
| Refused
| Total
|
1990
| |||
| January to March | 982 | 447 | 1,429 |
| April to June | 956 | 378 | 1,334 |
| July to September | 1,164 | 408 | 1,572 |
| October to December | 955 | 313 | 1,268 |
1991
| |||
| January to March | 1,556 | 539 | 2,095 |
| April to June | 1,684 | 470 | 2,154 |
| July to September | 2,306 | 613 | 2,919 |
| October to December | 2,153 | 536 | 2,689 |
1992
| |||
| January to March | 3,197 | 751 | 3,948 |
| April to June | 3,102 | 816 | 3,918 |
| July to September | 3,577 | 819 | 4,396 |
| October to December | 3,033 | 878 | 3,911 |
1993
| |||
| January to March | 4,755 | 984 | 5,739 |
Severe Hardship Claims: Scotland
| |||
Period
| Awarded
| Refused
| Total
|
1990
| |||
| January to March | 1,475 | 543 | 2,018 |
| April to June | 1,552 | 547 | 2,099 |
| July to September | 1,640 | 570 | 2,210 |
| October to December | 1,307 | 363 | 1,670 |
1991
| |||
| January to March | 2,315 | 644 | 2,959 |
| April to June | 2,826 | 655 | 3,481 |
| July to September | 3,005 | 767 | 3,772 |
| October to December | 2,737 | 592 | 3,329 |
1992
| |||
| January to March | 4,086 | 839 | 4,925 |
| April to June | 4,943 | 1,107 | 6,050 |
| July to September | 4,919 | 1,196 | 6,115 |
| October to December | 4,412 | 1,293 | 5,705 |
1993
| |||
| January to March | 6,079 | 1,410 | 7,489 |
Severe hardship claims: North West
| |||
Period
| Awarded
| Refused
| Total
|
1990
| |||
| January to March | 508 | 303 | 811 |
| April to June | 563 | 273 | 836 |
Period
| Awarded
| Refused
| Total
|
| July to September | 732 | 285 | 1,017 |
| October to December | 588 | 173 | 761 |
1991
| |||
| January to March | 987 | 345 | 1,332 |
| April to June | 1,180 | 314 | 1,494 |
| July to September | 1,537 | 432 | 1,969 |
| October to December | 1,476 | 371 | 1,847 |
1992
| |||
| January to March | 2,642 | 539 | 3,181 |
| April to June | 2,905 | 574 | 3,479 |
| July to September | 3,312 | 666 | 3,978 |
| October to December | 2,835 | 753 | 3,588 |
1993
| |||
| January to March | 4,571 | 917 | 5,488 |
Severe hardship claims: Midlands
| |||
Period
| Awarded
| Refused
| Total
|
1990
| |||
| January to March | 466 | 270 | 736 |
| April to June | 456 | 254 | 710 |
| July to September | 559 | 276 | 835 |
| October to December | 398 | 164 | 562 |
1991
| |||
| January to March | 787 | 296 | 1,083 |
| April to June | 1,000 | 293 | 1,293 |
| July to September | 1,637 | 429 | 2,066 |
| October to December | 1,576 | 400 | 1,976 |
1992
| |||
| January to March | 2,735 | 547 | 3,282 |
| April to June | 2,693 | 614 | 3,307 |
| July to September | 3,138 | 683 | 3,821 |
| October to December | 2,593 | 680 | 3,273 |
1993
| |||
| January to March | 4,126 | 887 | 5,013 |
Severe hardship claims: Wales and South West
| |||
Period
| Awarded
| Refused
| Total
|
1990
| |||
| January to March | 354 | 194 | 548 |
| April to June | 292 | 168 | 460 |
| July to September | 435 | 192 | 627 |
| October to December | 387 | 113 | 500 |
1991
| |||
| January to March | 827 | 256 | 1,083 |
| April to June | 1,128 | 245 | 1,373 |
| July to September | 1,655 | 369 | 2,024 |
| October to December | 1,586 | 323 | 1,909 |
1992
| |||
| January to March | 2,477 | 424 | 2,901 |
| April to June | 2,542 | 489 | 3,031 |
| July to September | 2,833 | 572 | 3,405 |
| October to December | 2,423 | 539 | 2,962 |
1993
| |||
| January to March | 3,960 | 723 | 4,683 |
Severe hardship claims—London (South)
| |||
Period
| Awarded
| Refuses
| Total
|
1990
| |||
| January to March | 359 | 179 | 538 |
| April to June | 364 | 125 | 489 |
Period
| Awarded
| Refuses
| Total
|
| July to September | 481 | 187 | 668 |
| October to December | 355 | 145 | 500 |
1991
| |||
| January to March | 760 | 288 | 1,048 |
| April to June | 1,014 | 228 | 1,242 |
| July to September | 1,499 | 335 | 1,834 |
| October to December | 1,419 | 315 | 1,734 |
1992
| |||
| January to March | 2,371 | 433 | 2,804 |
| April to June | 2,247 | 516 | 2,763 |
| July to September | 2,668 | 559 | 3,227 |
| October to December | 2,286 | 542 | 2,828 |
1993
| |||
| January to March | 3,687 | 618 | 4,305 |
Severe Hardship Claims—London (North)
| |||
Period
| Award
| Refused
| Total
|
| 1990 | |||
| January to March | 350 | 207 | 557 |
| April to June | 345 | 193 | 538 |
| July to September | 483 | 238 | 721 |
| October to December | 389 | 148 | 537 |
| 1991 | |||
| January to March | 818 | 281 | 1,099 |
| April to June | 964 | 293 | 1,257 |
| July to September | 1,380 | 303 | 1,683 |
| October to December | 1,325 | 254 | 1,579 |
| 1992 | |||
| January to March | 2,136 | 359 | 2,459 |
| April to June | 2,272 | 420 | 2,692 |
| July to September | 2,627 | 525 | 3,152 |
| October to December | 2,329 | 505 | 2,834 |
| 1993 | |||
| January to March | 3,657 | 557 | 4,214 |