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Social Security Benefits

Volume 490: debated on Monday 23 March 2009

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people claimed (a) disability benefit and (b) jobseeker's allowance in each of the last 10 years. (263682)

The available information is in the tables.

Disability living allowance and attendance allowance cases in payment

Disability living allowance

Attendance allowance

August 1999

2,135,100

1,258,600

August 2000

2,213,300

1,262,200

August 2001

2,326,800

1,285,900

August 2002

2,454,340

1,300,090

August 2003

2,573,540

1,336,210

August 2004

2,672,160

1,397,300

August 2005

2,749,480

1,440,090

August 2006

2,814,290

1,484,580

August 2007

2,909,980

1,525,610

August 2008

2,999,650

1,565,000

Notes:

1. August 2002 to August 2008: 100 per cent. Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS). Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.

2. There are no data available for disability living allowance and attendance allowance in the WPLS before May 2002. Pre August 2002: 5 per cent. sample data rated up to be consistent with 100 per cent. WPLS totals. Figures are rounded to the nearest 100.

3. Totals show the number of people in receipt of an allowance, and exclude people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital.

4. Figures may include a small number of cases where the recipient lives abroad.

5. Data are published at www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/tabtool.asp.

Source:

DWP Information Directorate

Jobseeker’s allowance claimant count in the last 10 years—seasonally adjusted, Great Britain

Claimant count

August 1999

1,180,100

August 2000

1,019,700

August 2001

911,900

August 2002

910,100

August 2003

898,500

August 2004

804,600

August 2005

839,800

August 2006

924,800

August 2007

825,200

August 2008

880,400

February 2009

1,349,100

Notes:

1. Data are seasonally adjusted and relates to claimants who are over 18 only.

2. Data have been rounded to the nearest 100.

3. Data are published at https://www.nomisweb.co.uk.

Source:

100 per cent. count of claimants of unemployment-related benefits, Jobcentre Plus Computer Systems.