asked the Minister for Social Welfare how much in each category of social welfare payments; if he will disaggregate the figures given in the Book of Estimates (1987) under each heading indicating the amount of money provided for (a) principal beneficiaries (b) adult dependants and (c) child dependants.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Statistics.
142.
The following table sets out the amounts provided for under each of the social welfare schemes in the 1987 Book of Estimates:
|
£000 |
|
|
Social Assistance |
|
|
Old Age and Blind Pensions (Non-Contributory) |
286,140 |
|
Child Benefit |
214,230 |
|
Unemployment Assistance |
412,780 |
|
Widow's and Orphan's Non-Contributory Pensions |
42,880 |
|
Deserted Wives' Allowances |
15,990 |
|
Social Assistance Allowances (unmarried mothers) |
40,470 |
|
Single Womens' Allowances |
4,660 |
|
Prisoners' Wives' Allowances |
1,390 |
|
Supplementary Welfare Allowances (including administration expenses) (a) |
37,620 |
|
Rent Allowances |
1,200 |
|
Family Income Supplement |
4,800 |
|
School Meals Scheme |
775 |
|
Fuel Schemes |
28,200 |
|
Free Travel |
25,960 |
|
Free Electricity |
21,790 |
|
Free Television Licences |
6,810 |
|
Free Telephone Rentals |
8,000 |
|
Free Bottled Gas |
110 |
|
Social Insurance |
|
|
Disability Benefit |
232,170 |
|
Invalidity Pension |
90,470 |
|
Maternity Allowance |
21,060 |
|
Treatment Benefit |
17,760 |
|
Old Age (Contributory) Pension |
263,160 |
|
Retirement Pension |
131,290 |
|
Unemployment Benefit |
251,670 |
|
Widow's (Contributory) Pension and Orphan's (Contributory) Allowance |
222,320 |
|
Deserted Wife's Benefit |
25,940 |
|
Death Grant |
980 |
|
Pay-related Benefit |
46,290 |
|
Occupational Injuries Insurance |
|
|
Injury Benefit |
8,100 |
|
Disablement Benefit |
19,270 |
|
Death Benefit |
1,930 |
|
Workmen's Compensation Supplements |
50 |
|
Medical care |
78 |
(a) The Supplementary Welfare Allowances scheme is administered by the Health Boards, but funded entirely out of the Social Welfare Vote.
It is not possible to desegregate the amounts given in the Book of Estimates as between principal beneficiaries and their dependants as the estimates are not prepared on this basis.
However, the following table sets out the numbers of claimants and the numbers of their dependants on the main social welfare schemes as at the end of June 1987, which is the latest date for which figures are available.
|
Claimants |
Adult Dependants |
Child Dependants (b) |
|
|
Social Assistance |
|||
|
Old Age and Blind Pensions |
124,156 |
9,861 |
2,900 |
|
Child Benefit |
477,724 |
— |
1,179,082 |
|
Unemployment Assistance |
152,719 |
59,415 |
171,437 |
|
Widow's Non-Contributory Pension |
17,701 |
— |
3,907 |
|
Orphan's Non-Contributory Allowance |
156 |
— |
— |
|
Social Insurance |
|||
|
Deserted Wives' Allowance |
4,680 |
— |
7,660 |
|
Social Assistance Allowance |
13,035 |
— |
16,333 |
|
Single Womens' Allowance |
2,543 |
— |
— |
|
Prisoners' Wives' Allowance |
276 |
— |
781 |
|
Supplementary Welfare Allowance (c) |
12,120 |
3,495 |
14,328 |
|
Disability Benefit |
78,966 |
20,362 |
78,645 |
|
Invalidity Pension |
27,172 |
9,652 |
12,957 |
|
Maternity Allowance |
4,838 |
not available |
|
|
Old Age (Contributory) Pension |
74,273 |
18,373 |
2,134 |
|
Retirement Pension |
39,112 |
12,562 |
1,696 |
|
Unemployment Benefit |
81,099 |
22,539 |
65,817 |
|
Widow's Contributory Pension |
80,515 |
— |
15,182 |
|
Orphan's Contributory Allowance |
685 |
— |
— |
|
Deserted Wife's Benefit |
6,683 |
— |
12,302 |
|
Occupational Injuries Insurance |
|||
|
Injury Benefit |
621 |
403 |
790 |
|
Disablement Benefit |
6,785 |
146 |
261 |
|
Death Benefit |
463 |
— |
417 |
(b) There is an element of estimation in the numbers of child dependants where only half-rates are payable.
(c) Refers to numbers in receipt of the basic weekly allowance as at the end of March 1986 which is the latest date for which figures are available.