To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will list (a) the categories of people in receipt of cyclical social security, (b) the number of recipients in each category and (c) the total amount paid or forecast to be paid for each year between 1995 and 2002. [6809]

	Case Load (000s)	Expenditure (£ million)
Category	1995–96	1995–96	1996–97	1997–98	1998–99	1999–2000
Unemployed
Unemployment benefit	433	1,102	574	0	0	0
Income support	1,656	4,823	2,212	0	0	0
Jobseeker's allowance—(contribution based)	0	0	425	619	619	626
Jobseeker's allowance—(income based)	0	0	2,414	4,150	3,848	3,673
Lone parents
Income support	1,060	4,265	4,205	4,344	4,363	4,453
Short-term sick
Income support	163	364	390	446	478	509
Long-term sick and disabled
Income support	808	2,858	2,984	3,378	3,723	4,098
Widows and others
Income support	251	494	531	577	608	648
Total cyclical social security	4,236	13,906	13,736	13,515	13,638	14,008

1. Figures for expenditure have been taken from the 1997 social security departmental report, tables 1, 4 and 5, and are given in £ millions. Estimates of expenditure for the years 2000–01 and 2001–02 are not available.2. Figures for case load are based on data collected in February and are given in thousands. They are consistent with those given in tables 6 and 7 in the 1997 social security departmental report. Figures split by broad groups of recipients are not available for years after 1995–96 on the same basis. It is estimated that in 1995–96 135,000 people received both income support and unemployment benefit.3. Figures given may not sum due to rounding.4. Income support paid to a person aged 60 and above is treated as part of the social security control total—i.e. it is not cyclical social security—irrespective of whether that person would also fit one of the other categories listed in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is her Department's definition of cyclical social security. [6810]

Cyclical social security is defined as the jobseeker's allowance and income support paid to people under the age of 60.