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WQ.94/2021
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR SOCIAL SECURITY BY DEPUTY G.P. SOUTHERN OF ST. HELIER
QUESTION SUBMITTED ON MONDAY 8th MARCH 2021 ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 15th MARCH 2021
Question
Further to the response to WQ.54/2021, will the Minister provide worked examples of households with and without children on Income Support (I.S.), showing all components and disregards on income, between 2014 and 2021 in real and percentage terms; and is it the Minister's assessment that higher I.S. claims in 2021 are mainly caused by large increases in rental components averaging 28%?
Answer
Worked example 1: Working age single adult – job seeker – bedsit – private sector
Income Support Components at start of year |
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| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
Component | Value (Weekly) | |||||||
Adult Component | £92.12 | £92.12 | £92.12 | £92.12 | £94.85 | £97.72 | £99.61 | £99.61 |
Household Component | £51.31 | £51.31 | £51.31 | £51.31 | £52.85 | £54.46 | £55.51 | £55.51 |
Accommodation (Private Rental, Bedsit) | £115.71 | £125.30 | £125.30 | £131.88 | £135.73 | £139.86 | £142.52 | £142.52 |
Weekly IS Total | £259.14 | £268.73 | £268.73 | £275.31 | £283.43 | £292.04 | £297.64 | £297.64 |
Weekly total household income | £259.14 | £268.73 | £268.73 | £275.31 | £283.43 | £292.04 | £297.64 | £297.64 |
The percentage change in Income Support between 1/1/14 and 1/1/21 is 15%.
Worked example 2: Working age couple, one primary school aged child – One parent full time work; one working part time - 2 bed social rented flat.
Income Support Components at start of year |
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| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
Component | Value (Weekly) | |||||||
Adult Component | £92.12 | £92.12 | £92.12 | £92.12 | £94.85 | £97.72 | £99.61 | £99.61 |
Adult Component | £92.12 | £92.12 | £92.12 | £92.12 | £94.85 | £97.72 | £99.61 | £99.61 |
First Child Component | £63.98 | £63.98 | £63.98 | £63.98 | £65.87 | £72.94 | £77.98 | £77.98 |
Household Component | £51.31 | £51.31 | £51.31 | £51.31 | £52.85 | £54.46 | £55.51 | £55.51 |
Accommodation (Social Rental, 2 Bed Flat) | £207.90 | £235.48 | £235.48 | £248.99 | £256.27 | £263.97 | £269.01 | £269.01 |
Earnings Disregard | 20% | 23% | 23% | 23% | 25% | 25% | 26% | 26% |
Earned Income Adult 1, 35 hours pw less disregard | -£266.56 | -£263.30 | -£268.15 | -£273.81 | -£273.53 | -£282.98 | -£286.45 | -£289.56 |
Earned Income Adult 2, 25 hours pw less disregard | -£190.40 | -£188.07 | -£191.54 | -£195.58 | -£195.38 | -£202.13 | -£204.61 | -£206.83 |
Adult 1 Expenditure (Social Security Contributions) | £19.99 | £20.52 | £20.90 | £21.34 | £21.88 | £22.64 | £23.23 | £23.48 |
Adult 2 Expenditure (Social Security Contributions) | £14.28 | £14.66 | £14.93 | £15.24 | £15.63 | £16.17 | £16.59 | £16.77 |
Weekly IS Total | £84.74 | £118.81 | £111.14 | £115.70 | £133.30 | £140.52 | £150.47 | £145.58 |
Weekly household income | £655.94 | £705.01 | £708.14 | £725.30 | £758.50 | £787.32 | £814.07 | £816.38 |
The percentage change in income support between 1/1/14 and 1/1/21 is 72%
Worked example 3: pensioner couple, receiving full Jersey married OAP, living in 1-bed social rented flat
Income Support Components |
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| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
Component | Value (Weekly) | |||||||
Adult Component | £92.12 | £92.12 | £92.12 | £92.12 | £94.85 | £97.72 | £99.61 | £99.61 |
Adult Component | £92.12 | £92.12 | £92.12 | £92.12 | £94.85 | £97.72 | £99.61 | £99.61 |
Household Component | £51.31 | £51.31 | £51.31 | £51.31 | £52.85 | £54.46 | £55.51 | £55.51 |
Accommodati on (Social Rental, 1 Bed Flat) | £165.27 | £181.30 | £181.30 | £194.46 | £200.13 | £206.15 | £210.07 | £210.07 |
Pension Income Adult 1, Full OAP- less disregard | -£142.17 | -£142.17 | -£144.76 | -£148.96 | -£154.70 | -£162.03 | -£166.02 | -£167.21 |
Pension Income Adult 2, Full OAP – less disregard | £ 95.81 | £ 95.83 | £ 97.56 | £100.36 | £ 104.18 | £ 109.48 | £ 110.68 | £ 111.47 |
Weekly IS Total | £162.84 | £178.85 | £174.53 | £180.69 | £183.80 | £182.84 | £188.10 | £186.12 |
Total household income | £485.31 | £507.85 | £507.85 | £521.01 | £533.68 | £547.77 | £562.02 | £562.72 |
The percentage change in Income Support benefit between 1/1/14 and 1/1/21 is 14%.
The main driver for higher Income Support claims in 2021 is the impact of Covid-19 on the local economy. In respect of overall Income Support costs, the proportion of costs allocated to accommodation costs has remained constant between 2017 and 2020.