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Dept for Work and Pensions

Answer

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will provide a breakdown of how many people were in receipt of means-tested benefits and tax credits for each year since May 1997. [7787] Malcolm Wicks: The information is in the table. Thousand _________________________________________________________________________________________________. May 1997 May 1998 May 1999 May 2000 May {1}2001 Income Support 3,958 3,853 3,814 3,811 3,928 Jobseeker's 1,225 1,027 948 824 701 Allowance--income-based Housing Benefit 4,640 4,475 4,313 4,033 3,863 Council Tax Benefit 5,500 5,326 5,166 4,830 4,657 Family Credit/Working 748 767 791 1,024 1,214 Families Tax Credit Disability Working 13 15 17 23 27 Allowance/Disabled Persons Tax Credit _________________________________________________________________________________________________. {1} The 2001 count for Disabled Persons Tax Credit was taken in April not May 2001. Notes: 1. For Income Support, Jobseeker's Allowance and Family Credit/Working Families Tax Credit, figures are based on a 5 per cent. sample and are therefore subject to a degree of sampling error. Other data are taken from 100 per cent. counts. 2. Figures are for Great Britain and are rounded to the nearest thousand. 3. Some people may be entitled to more than one means-tested benefit. A large proportion of people receiving Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit, may also be receiving one of the other means-tested benefits/tax credits. Figures cannot therefore be added together to produce a total. 4. The data refer to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple. 5. The Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit totals for Great Britain include estimates for local authorities that have not responded. These estimates are based on historical and regional data. This type of estimate is standard practice in reporting totals where there have been non-respondents. 6. Council Tax Benefit totals exclude any Second Adult Rebate cases. 7. Housing Benefit figures exclude any Extended Payment cases. Source: Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiries, May 1997 to May 2001 Jobseeker's Allowance Quarterly Statistical Enquiries, May 1997 to May 2001 Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System Quarterly 100 per cent. caseload stock-count taken in May of each year from 1997 Family Credit/Working Families Tax Credit, May 1997 to May 2001 Disability Working Allowance/Disabled Person Tax Credit May 1997 to May 2001

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

7787; 372 c1210-2W;372 c1208-10W

Session

2001-02

Subjects

Council tax benefits Disability working allowance Housing benefit Jobseeker's allowance Income support Recipients Means-tested benefits Social security benefits Welfare tax credits

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

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