Hansard

Income Support

Volume 458: debated on Monday 26 March 2007

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Mr. Graham Stuart

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of children lived in households in receipt of income support in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. (129600)

Mr. Plaskitt

The information is not available in the format requested. The available information is in the following table.

Numbers of children living in households in receipt of income support (IS) in Great Britain; as at April each year

Number of dependent children in IS households

Percentage of dependent children

2004

1,978,650

17.6

2005

1,865,720

16.7

2006

1,828,275

16.4

Notes:

1. Figures have been rounded the nearest five.

2. Figures exclude a very small number of cases that are held clerically.

3. Figures are for children dependent on a parent/guardian claiming income support.

4. Due to the introduction of child tax credits in April 2003, information on child dependents held on the benefit computer system is not reliable; therefore children data have been merged onto income support claims from child benefit records with permission of HMRC.

Source:

DWP and HMRC data