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Incapacity Benefit

Answer

[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 provides 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

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

224030; 480 c64W

Session

2007-08

Subjects

Income support Incapacity benefit

Link

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