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Dept of Social Security

Answer

Mr. Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish for each year since 1979 (a) each means-tested benefit applicable to pensioners in that year, (b) the number of claimants of each benefit and (c) their figure as a percentage of the total number of pensioners. [9533] Mr. Heald: The information is in the tables. Recipients of means-tested benefits by type of benefit 1979-1994 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Year Supplementary As a per cent. of Family Income As a per cent. of Housing Benefit Benefit/Income the population aged Supplement/Family the population aged Support 60 and over Credit 60 and over 1979 1,723,000 15.9 n/a n/a n/a 1980 1,694,000 15.4 n/a n/a n/a 1981 1,738,000 15.6 n/a n/a n/a 1982 1,781,000 15.8 n/a n/a n/a 1983 1,651,000 14.6 n/a n/a n/a 1984 1,683,000 14.7 n/a n/a n/a 1985 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 1986 1,717,000 14.9 n/a n/a n/a 1987 1,727,000 15.0 n/a n/a n/a 1988 1,719,000 14.9 n/a n/a n/a 1989 1,607,000 13.8 1,000 - 2,100,000 1990 1,675,000 14.4 1,000 - 2,067,000 1991 1,575,000 13.5 1,000 - 1.957,000 1992 1,643,000 14.0 1,000 - 1,957,000 1993 1,736,000 14.8 1,000 - 1,980,000 1994 1,765,000 15.1 2,000 - 1,944,000 Year As a per cent. of Council Tax Benefit As a per cent. of Community Charge As a per cent. of the population aged the population aged Benefit the population aged 60 and over 60 and over 60 and over 1979 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 1980 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 1981 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 1982 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 1983 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 1984 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 1985 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 1986 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 1987 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 1988 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 1989 18.1 n/a n/a n/a n/a 1990 17.8 n/a n/a 3,644,000 31.4 1991 16.7 n/a n/a 3,202,000 27.4 1992 16.7 n/a n/a 3,057,000 26.1 1993 16.9 2,820,000 24.0 n/a n/a 1994 16.6 2,799,000 23.9 n/a n/a _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Notes: 1. Numbers are rounded to the nearest thousand, percentages to one decimal place. 2. A pensioner has been defined as aged 60 and over. 3. Community Charge Benefit (CCB) replaced Rent Rebate in Scotland from April 1989 and the rest of Great Britain from April 1990. Figures for Community Charge Benefit in Scotland as at May 1989 are not available. Community Charge Benefit was replaced by Council Tax Benefit (CTB) from April 1993. 4. The total number of pensioners receiving Housing Benefit or Family Income Supplement is not available prior to 1989. 5. Income Support replaced Supplementary Benefit in April 1988. 6. Family Credit replaced Family Income Supplement in April 1988. 7. Sample Sizes: Income Support and Family Credit 5 per cent. Disability Working Allowance 100 per cent. count of all claims. Housing Benefit/Council Tax Benefit/Community Charge Benefit 1 per cent. 8. No figures are available for 1985 for Income Support due to industrial action. Source: Social Security Statistics 1979-1995. 1 per cent. Sample of recipients of Housing benefit/council tax benefit. Family credit 5 per cent. Sample of awards. Disability Working Allowance 100 per cent. Count of awards.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

269 c656-8W;269 c654-6W; 9533

Session

1995-96

Subjects

Council tax benefits Applications Community charge benefits Housing benefit Income support Family credit Pensioners Means-tested benefits Social security benefits Supplementary benefits

Contains statistics

Yes