The Scottish Abstract of Statistics No 26,1998

13 social security, vital statistics and elections

Sickness, Invalidity, Injury, and Incapacity Benefits

13.1 Under the National Insurance Acts, nearly the whole of the civilian working population aged 16 and over, but not yet retired, could have qualified for Sickness Benefit, including those employed under contract of service and the self employed. There are, however, a number of employed persons who did not qualify, the majority of whom are married women who previously elected to pay reduced rate National Insurance contributions. In general, Invalidity Benefit replaces Sickness Benefit after 28 weeks.

13.2 From 6 April 1983, most people who worked for an employer and who paid National Insurance contributions as an employed person did not get Sickness Benefit for the early weeks of sickness. Instead they received Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) from their employer. Prior to 6 April 1986, employees were entitled to SSP for a maximum of 8 weeks of sickness absence in a tax year. From 6 April 1986 this entitlement was increased to a maximum of 28 weeks and was no longer limited by the tax year. People who do not work for an employer and employees who are excluded from the SSP scheme, or who have reached maximum entitlement to SSP and are still sick, can claim sickness benefit.

13.3 From 13 April 1995 Incapacity Benefit (IB) replaced Sickness and Invalidity Benefit. For people under state pension age there are 2 short term rates. The lower rate is paid for the first 28 weeks of sickness, the higher rate for weeks 29 to 52. The long term rate of IB applies to people under state pension age who have been sick for more than one year. People with a terminal illness, or who are receiving the higher rate care component of DLA (Disability Living Allowance) will get the long term rate from week 29. The long term rate is not paid for people over pension age. The higher short term rate and the Iong term rate are not taxable.

The Social Fund - Maternity and Funeral Payments

13.4 A Maternity Payment is a payment of £100, for each baby born and is available from the Social Fund for recipients of Income Support, Income-based Jobseekers Allowance, Family Credit, and Disability Working Allowance. Any savings over £500 (£1000 for those aged 60 or over), are taken into account and offset against the payment.

13.5 A Funeral Payment is a social fund payment to the person responsible for payment of a funeral for recipients of Income Support, Income-based Jobseekers Allowance, Family Credit, Housing Benefit, Disability/Working Allowance, and Council Tax Benefit. Funeral Payments are recoverable from the estate of the deceased.

Community Care Grants

13.6 A Community Care Grant is intended to promote Community Care by helping people to re-establish themselves in the community after a stay in institutional or residential care; to remain in the community rather than enter care; to ease exceptional pressures on families; to care for a prisoner released on temporary license; and to meet certain travelling expenses. Community Care Grants are nonrepayable and they are available to people who receive Income Support, or are likely to do so on return to the community.

Budgeting Loans and Crisis Loans

13.7 Budgeting loans and crisis loans are interest free loans available from the Social Fund. Budgeting loans are available to people who have been on Income Support for at least 26 weeks to help with large intermittent expenses which are difficult to budget for. Crisis loans are available to anyone in an emergency or a disaster, whether in receipt of Income Support or not, who have no other means of preventing serious risk to health or safety.

Cold Weather Payments

13.8 A Cold Weather Payment is a payment to help with additional heating costs when the average temperature at a specified weather station has been recorded as, or is forecast to be, 0 degrees centigrade, or below, over any seven consecutive days. The payment is currently £8.50 for each 7 day period that qualifies. People in receipt of Income Support or income based Jobseekers Allowance which includes a pensioner premium, disability premium, for a child under 5 in the assessment are eligible. Savings are not taken into account.

Unemployed Claimants

13.9 The figures in Table 13C1 for 1992-95 inclusive were calculated from a 100 per cent count of unemployed claimants in Great Britain taken on the second Thursday of November in the years shown.

From 7 October 1996 Unemployment Benefit and Income Support for the unemployed were replaced by Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA). Information in Table 13C1 from November 1996 relates to Jobseeker’s Allowance which is based on a 5% sample of all JSA claimants taken on the second Thursday in the month.