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Dept for Work and Pensions

Answer

Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the most common reasons are that people of working age claim income support; and how many claimants there were in each category for the last year for which figures are available. [224671] Mr. Pond: The information is not available in the format requested. The available information is in the following table. Income support claimants of working age in Great Britain by client group: February 2004 to November 2004 Number _________________________________________________________________________________________________. All working age Aged 60 or over Disabled Lone parent Others February 2004 2,199,500 11,700 1,118,000 820,500 249,200 May 2004 2,170,800 11,000 1,116,100 809,800 234,000 August 2004 2,169,100 10,800 1,120,500 804,000 233,800 November 2004 2,147,900 10,900 1,124,400 781,700 230,800 Four quarter average 2,171,800 11,100 1,119,700 804,000 237,000 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Notes: 1. Caseload figures have been rounded to the nearest. 2. Working age refers to men aged 16 to 64 and women aged 16 to 59. 3. `Aged 60 or over' are cases where the claimant and/or partner is 60 or over. 4. Disabled category refers to claimants aged under 60 with a disability premium and not in receipt of a pensioner premium. 5. Lone parents are claimants aged under 60 with dependants and not in receipt of a disability premium or pensioner premium. 6. Others are those who do not fall into any of the other three categories. Source: Information Directorate, 5 per cent. samples.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

432 c1482W;432 c1478W; 224671

Session

2004-05

Subjects

Income support Recipients Social security benefits

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk