How many families in the UK are solely reliant on benefits?

Question

Does anyone have any idea how many families there are in the UK where neither parent (or there is only one parent) works, and are reliant on income support/job seekers allowance/ statutory sick pay or whatever it is called? If not does anyone have any idea how I could find out how many people overall are claiming job seekers (is it still called this for single mothers with children under 16 who don't have to seek employment?). Thank you

Answer 1

The unemployed claim JSA, Lone parents claim Income support and the sick claim Incapacity Benefit and/or income support

The latest figures are:

The number on Jobseeker's Allowance 925,800.

The number on incapacity benefits is 2.68 million, its lowest for over six years.

The number on lone parent benefits is 783 thousand. ,

Incapacity Benefits and lone parents benefits – has fallen by around 900 thousand.

There about 4 Millon who don't claim anything (due to savings or partners working) leaving just under 8 million people of working age in the United Kingdom were either not looking for, or not available for, work and were therefore classified as being economically inactive