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Dept of Social Security

Answer

Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many single parent households which were headed by a divorced woman were in receipt of social security benefits, excluding child benefit or its equivalent, in (a) 1970, (b) 1980 and (c) 1999; and what was the cost of such benefits in each of these years. [117533] Angela Eagle: The information is not available in the format requested as, generally, statistics on the receipt of Social Security benefits can only be broken down into lone and couple claimants. Divorced claimants are not separately identified. Such information as is available is as follows. In 1980, of 316,000 lone parents claiming Supplementary Benefit, 109,000 were recorded as being female divorced claimants with dependants. In May 1994, 161,000 female lone parents were divorced (17 per cent. of all female lone parents). Since May 1994 divorced claimants have not been separately identified in Income Support statistics. Sources: 1. 1994: Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiry, May 1994. 2. 1980: Supplementary Benefit Annual Statistical Enquiry. 3. Caseloads have been rounded to the nearest 1,000.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

348 c141W; 117533

Session

1999-00

Subjects

Income support Divorce Recipients Lone parents Social security benefits

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

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