Breakdown of nationalities of Adults in recept of Income Support

1240/5(6988)

WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR SOCIAL SECURITY BY DEPUTY M. TADIER OF ST. BRELADE

ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 10th JULY 2012

Question

"Will the Minister –

1. provide a breakdown of adult recipients of Income Support by nationality, including a comparison with the nationality breakdown provided in the 2011 Census;
2. state what percentage of Income Support claimants have –
   1. lived in Jersey for more than 10 years;
   2. lived in Jersey for between five and 10 years;
3. provide  a  breakdown  of  Social  Security  contributors  by nationality,  including  a comparison with the nationality breakdown provided in the 2011 Census?"

Answer

Using data extracted on 18 June 2012, nationality information[1] is available in respect of 7,690 adult recipients of income support. Under the Income Support law an adult is defined as anyone over compulsory school leaving age.

The table provides a breakdown of these recipients by nationality.

This compares with place of birth information gathered through the 2011 Census:

These percentages are in respect of adults in Jersey at the time of the census (March 2011) aged 16 and above.

Information held by the Social Security Department for contribution purposes includes the dates when individuals register with the Department. An individual who leaves the island and returns at a later date will have two (or more) dates recorded. However, this data does not provide a complete record of individuals living in Jersey as, for example, individuals may leave the island without  informing  the  Department.    The  following  statistics  have  been  collated  by  cross- referencing this information against details of current Income Support claimants.

• 80% of adults included on income support claims have been registered with Social Security for at least the last 10 years.
• 13% of adults included on income support claims have been registered with Social Security for at least the last five years.
• 7% of adults included on income support claims were most recently registered less than five years ago.

As noted above many adults spend some time in Jersey, and some time in other countries. The 7% of adults with their most recent registration date less than five years ago will include a large number of Jersey born individuals who have lived in Jersey for many years, left the island for a period, and recently returned.

It will also include individuals who have recently arrived in Jersey as the partner of an individual who is entitled to income support. Proposition P.56 proposes a change to Income Support so that each adult in an Income Support household will need to individually satisfy the Income Support residence test in order to receive the adult component and this proposition will be debated at the next States sitting.

Information on nationality[2] is available for 46,294 adults with employed earnings in December 2011as submitted to the Department. This includes all adults over compulsory school leaving age who were working for an employer in this month. It does not include individuals who were solely  self  employed.   It  does  include  individuals  above  pension  age  who  remain  in  paid employment.

Census data on place of birth is available for men aged 16-64 and women aged 16 -59.