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Incapacity Benefit

Volume 480: debated on Monday 6 October 2008

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of awards for (a) non-means tested incapacity benefit and (b) income support on grounds of incapacity for work have been made to those who are terminally ill in the last three years. (224030)

[holding answer 17 September 2008]: Information about the proportion of income support claimants that are terminally ill is not available. The available information is in the following table.

Proportion of incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance claimants who are terminally ill

Quarter ending

As a total caseload (percentage)

2005

May

0.03

August

0.03

November

0.03

2006

February

0.03

May

0.03

August

0.04

November

0.03

2007

February

0.03

May

0.03

August

0.03

November

0.03

2008

February

0.03

Notes:

1. All incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance awards are non-means tested; figures include national insurance contributions only cases.

2. Figures are based on a 5 per cent. sample and are therefore subject to a degree of sampling variation.

3. The ‘terminally ill’ category comes from an indicator on the incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance data; no such indicator exists on the income support data.

4. The best statistics on benefits are now derived from 100 per cent. data sources. However, the 5 per cent. sample data still provide some detail not yet available from the 100 per cent. data sources.

5. Caseload figures have been uprated in line with WPLS 100 per cent. data and rounded to the nearest 100. Totals may not sum due to rounding.

Source:

Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate, 5 per cent. sample

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of recipients of non-means tested incapacity benefit are awarded income support in addition to incapacity benefit due to qualification for the (a) disability and (b) enhanced disability premium. (224156)

Incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance are wholly non-means tested benefits. The available information is in the table.

Proportions of incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance claimants that are also in receipt of the disability premium and enhanced disability premium elements of income support

Percentage

Disability premium

Both disability and enhanced disability premiums

May 2007

33.3

5.2

August 2007

33.3

5.3

November 2007

33.3

5.4

February 2008

33.6

5.5

Note:

1. Percentages are rounded to one decimal place.

Source:

DWP Information Directorate 100 per cent. WPLS.