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Text and Research: Fionnuala
McKenna
Material is added to this site on a regular basis - information on this page may change
Health and Social Security in Northern Ireland
- Northern Ireland operates the same Social Security System
as the rest of the United Kingdom. This Social Security is designed
to provide financial help for those who are unemployed, sick,
disabled, on low incomes or generally in need of financial support.
There are currently over 30 different types of benefit schemes
available, and these are administered through the Social Security
Agency.
- In 1995-1996, the Social Security Agency paid a total of £2,539
million in Social Security Benefits. It now estimates that over
the 1996-1997 financial year, it will have paid approximately
£3.1 billion to over one million people.
- There are now 35 Social Security offices throughout Northern
Ireland, and the Agency itself employs over 5,000 people, although
some of these individuals are involved in providing processing
services for the GB Benefits Agency.
- The term Health and Personal Social Services refers to a wide
range of services designed to meet the health and social needs
of individuals.
- In 1994/1995, Government expenditure on Health and Personal
Social Services alone amounted to £1.3 billion. It is estimated
that this total will be in excess of £1.5 billion for 1996-1997.
- Health and Personal Social Services in Northern Ireland are
delivered through four Health and Social Services Boards, based
on local authority districts. These are; Eastern Health and Social
Services Board; Northern Health and Social Services Board; Southern
Health and Social Services Board; Western Health and Social Services
Board.
- The Government is planning a major spend of £175 million
in the coming years to improve 5 main hospitals in Northern Ireland.
- Northern Ireland has a higher incidence of deaths resulting
from both heart diseases and respiratory diseases than any other
part of the UK.
- Compared to the rest of the UK, Northern Ireland has the highest
number of deaths resulting from road traffic accidents (with 10
deaths per 100,000 of population as opposed to 6 per 100,000 in
England).This figure is also substantially higher than the figures
for the Republic of Ireland.
- From 1971 - 1994, Northern Ireland had the highest rate of
infant mortality in the UK. However, this has been decreasing
steadily over the years, and has fallen from 22.7 (per 1,000 live
and still births) in 1971 to 6.1 in 1994.
- A total of 214,960 persons in Northern Ireland receive income
support each year; a further 22,299 receive other non-contributory
benefits, including family credit, attendance allowance, mobility
allowance and retirement pensions, and some 222,676 families receive
child benefit.
Sources:
The following tables provide further breakdowns of the health and social security
statistics available for Northern Ireland. Much of this material
has been taken from the Northern Ireland Annual Abstract of
Statistics (1996), Regional Trends (1996), The continuous
Household Survey (1991), and the Irish Almanac and Yearbook of Facts
(1997).
Other relevant web sites include those of the Northern Ireland
Social Security Agency {External Link} and the
Department of Health and Personal Social Services {External Link} for Northern Ireland.
Dependence on Benefits in Northern Ireland: A
Breakdown by Religion
| . | 1985-1987
| 1988-1990/91
|
| Receipt of Benefits | Catholic
%
| Protestant
% |
Overall
% | Catholic
%
| Protestant
% |
Overall
% |
| Income Support | 37
| 20 | 26
| 30 | 16
| 21 |
| Family Credit | 4
| 2 | 2
| 4 | 2
| 2 |
| Unemployment Benefit | 2
| 2 | 2
| 1 | 1
| 1 |
(Source: PPRU Monitor, Continuous Household Survey, Religion
Report, No.1/93)
Number of People Receiving Income Support
| . | 1988
| 1989 | 1990
| 1992 | 1993
|
| Persons < 60 years of age
|
| Unemployed with contributory benefit | 3,500
| 4,600 | 1,780
| 1,560 | 920
|
| Unemployed without contributory benefit |
72,480 | 68,240
| 63,060 | 74,880
| 79,960 |
| Disabled | 8,940
| 12,240 | 11,400
| 16,540 | 19,660
|
| Lone parent premium not in other groups |
11,980 | 12,720
| 18,160 | 13,820
| 16,980 |
| Others | 11,980
| 12,720 | 18,160
| 13,820 | 16,980
|
| Persons > 60 years of age
|
| Retirement Pensions | 53,420
| 48,580 | 51,120
| 45,920 | 50,280
|
| Others | 12,600
| 12,820 | 7,400
| 13,360 | 14,180
|
| All Income Support | 184,140
| 183,400 | 179,000
| 199,820 | 214,960
|
(Source: Northern Ireland Annual Abstract of Statistics)
Entitlement to Unemployment Benefit
| . | 1990
| 1991 |
1992 |
1993
| 1994 |
| . | May
| Nov
| May | Nov |
May | Nov |
May
| Nov | May |
Nov |
Unemployment Benefit
Only |
11.5
|
11.3
|
13.1
|
14.0
|
14.6
|
14.1
|
12.9
|
12.4
|
10.7
|
8.2
|
Unemployment Benefit
and Income Support
|
2.0
|
1.8
|
2.1
|
2.2
|
2.1
|
2.1
|
1.6
|
2.1
|
2.7
|
3.8
|
Income Support only |
75.4
|
75.1
|
78.2
|
78.8
|
82.4
|
82.3
|
78.6
|
73.7
|
71.5
|
7.0
|
| Neither Unemployment Benefit or Income Support Payment
|
7.9
|
6.6
|
5.9
|
6.4
|
6.0
|
6.9
|
5.0
|
11.1
|
10.2
|
9.3
|
All Entitled |
96.8
|
94.8
|
99.3
|
101.5
|
105.1
|
105.4
|
98.1
|
99.4
|
95.2
|
91.3
|
(Source: Northern Ireland Annual Abstract of Statistics)
Number of Families Receiving Child Benefit
| . | 1985
| 1986 | 1987
| 1988 | 1989
| 1990 | 1991
| 1992 | 1993
| 1994 |
| Without one Parent Benefit
|
No. of Children
in family
| . | .
| . | .
| . | .
| . | .
|
| 1 | 65,804 |
66,248 | 65,746
| 65,136 | 64,384
| 63,862 | 63,758
| 64,066 | 64,332
| 64,690 |
| 2 | 69,396 |
68,568 | 67,884
| 67,738 | 67,480
| 67,682 | 68,106
| 68,618 | 69,408
| 69,720 |
| 3 | 37,814 |
37,668 | 37,152
| 37,170 | 36,960
| 36,890 | 37,010
| 37,128 | 37,224
| 36,704 |
| 4 | 16,478 |
16,366 | 16,512
| 16,506 | 16,108
| 15,862 | 15,660
| 15,436 | 15,042
| 14,896 |
| >5 | 9,762
| 9,396 | 8,956
| 8,810 | 8,528
| 8,204 | 7,878
| 7,446 | 7,182
| 6,662 |
| | |
| | | |
| | | |
| Children for whom benefit paid | 438,562
| 434,376 | 428,952
| 427,090 | 421,926
| 418,710 | 417,082
| 415,440 | 414,000
| 410,292 |
| Families | 199,254
| 198,246 | 196,250
| 195,360 | 193,460
| 192,500 | 192,412
| 192,694 | 193,188
| 192,672 |
| | |
| | | |
| | | |
| With one Parent Benefit |
No. of Children in
family
| . | .
| . | .
| . | .
| . | .
| . |
| 1 | 10,244 |
11,242 | 11,924
| 12,852 | 13,678
| 14,526 | 15,500
| 16,366 | 17,012
| 17,762 |
| 2 | 4,382 |
4,692 | 5,106
| 5,622 | 6,056
| 6,672 | 7,362
| 8,106 | 8,582
| 9,172 |
| 3 | 1,550 |
1,652 | 1,824
| 2,006 | 2,368
| 2,672 | 2,832
| 3,018 | 3,192
| 3,430 |
| 4 | 476 |
516 | 534
| 616 | 708
| 786 | 894
| 994 | 1,070
| 1,194 |
| >5 | 186
| 210 | 232
| 254 | 296
| 350 | 356
| 378 | 404
| 446 |
| Children for whom benefit paid | 26,582
| 28,802 | 31,010
| 33,966 | 37,348
| 40,936 | 44,232
| 47,658 | 50,216
| 53,564 |
| Families | 16,838
| 18,312 | 19,620
| 21,350 | 23,106
| 25,006 | 26,944
| 28,862 | 30,260
| 32,004 |
| | |
| | | |
| | | |
| All Families |
| No. of Children in Family | .
| . | .
| . | .
| . | .
| . | .
|
| 1 | 76,048 |
77,490 | 77,670
| 77,988 | 78,062
| 78,388 | 79,258
| 80,432 | 81,344
| 82,452 |
| 2 | 73,778 |
73,260 | 72,990
| 73,360 | 73,536
| 74,354 | 75,468
| 76,724 | 77,990
| 78,892 |
| 3 | 39,364 |
39,320 | 38,976
| 39,176 | 39,328
| 39,562 | 39,842
| 40,146 | 40,416
| 40,134 |
| 4 | 16,954
| 16,882 | 17,046
| 17,122 | 16,816
| 16,648 | 16,554
| 16,430 | 16,112
| 16,090 |
| >5 | 9,948
| 9,606 | 9,188
| 9,064 | 8,824
| 8,554 | 8,234
| 7,824 | 7,586
| 7,108 |
| Children for whom benefit paid | 465,144
| 463,178 | 459,962
| 461,056 | 459,274
| 459,646 | 461,314
| 463,098 | 464,616
| 463,856 |
| Families receiving benefits | 216,092
| 216,558 | 215,870
| 216,710 | 216,566
| 217,506 | 219,356
| 221,556 | 223,448
| 224,676 |
(Source: Northern Ireland Annual Abstract of Statistics,
1996.)
Number of People Receiving Other Non-Contributory Benefits
| . | 1988
| 1989 | 1990
| 1991 | 1992
| 1993 | 1994
|
| Non-Contributory Retirement Pension |
3,264
|
3,152
|
3,027
|
2,614
|
2,668
|
2,514
|
2,431
|
| Family Credit | 13,774
| 13,695 | 14,037
| 15,112 | 17,346
| 18,996 | 22,952
|
| Attendance Allowance | 29,394
| 32,374 | 36,456
| 38,877 | 32,977
| 54,787 | 56,111
|
| Mobility Allowance | 12,616
| 14,385 | 15,968
| 17,880 | 18,614
| - | -
|
| Invalid Care Allowance | 5,728
| 7,133 | 8,117
| 8,249 | 10,395
| 16,971 | 22,299
|
(Source: Northern Ireland Annual Abstract of Statistics)
Estimated Government Expenditure on Certain Cash Benefits
| . | 1989/90
| 1990/91 | 1991/92
| 1992/93 | 1993/94
|
| £ million |
| Retirement | 453
| 495 | 560
| 589 | 619
|
| Sickness and Invalidity | 168
| 193 | 228
| 257 | 293
|
| Widow's | 32
| 31 | 34
| 34 | 35
|
| Unemployment | 31.2
| 29.1 | 38.1
| 40.3 | 41.8
|
| Severe Disablement | 16.5
| 18.7 | 25.2
| 27.5 | 30.0
|
| Income Support | 373
| 419 | 488
| 570 | 625
|
| Child Benefit | 180
| 182 | 200
| 218 | 230
|
| Family Credit | 29.1
| 31.5 | 37.2
| 47.8 | 56.5
|
| | |
| | |
|
| £ per head |
| Retirement | 286
| 312 | 350
| 364 | 379
|
| Sickness and Invalidity | 106
| 121 | 142
| 159 | 179
|
| Widow's | 20
| 20 | 21
| 21 | 22
|
| Unemployment | 20
| 18 | 24
| 25 | 26
|
| Severe Disablement | 10
| 12 | 16
| 17 | 18
|
| Income Support | 236
| 264 | 305
| 352 | 383
|
| Child Benefit | 114
| 115 | 125
| 135 | 141
|
| Family Credit | 18
| 20 | 23
| 30 | 35
|
(Source: Northern Ireland Annual Abstract of Statistics,
p.38)
Number of Deaths by Cause in Northern Ireland: Male and Female
Cause of Death | Male
| | Female
|
| . | 1986
| 1988 | 1990
| 1992 | 1994
| | 1986
| 1988 | 1990
| 1992 | 1994
|
| Ischaemic heart disease | 2,697
| 2,658 | 2,399
| 2,365 | 2,205
| | 1,989 |
2,088 | 1,928
| 1,948 | 1,963
|
| Cerebbovascular disease | 743
| 664 | 571
| 673 | 627
| | 1,265 |
1,044 | 1,071
| 1,018 | 1,111
|
| Other Circulatory diseases | 612
| 555 | 486
| 476 | 480
| | 758 |
735 | 655
| 632 | 625
|
| All Circulatory Diseases | 4,052
| 3,877 | 3,456
| 3,514 | 3,312
| | 4,012
| 3,867 | 3,654
| 3,598 | 3,699
|
| | |
| | | |
| | | |
|
| Bronchitis and allied conditions | 424
| 418 | 436
| 404 | 372
| | 199 |
249 | 246
| 286 | 262
|
| Other respiratory diseases | 874
| 798 | 883
| 721 | 712
| | 1,084 |
1,103 | 1,216
| 1,012 | 1,052
|
| All Respiratory Diseases | 1,298
| 1,216 | 1,319
| 1,125 | 1,084
| | 1,283
| 1,352 | 1,462
| 1,298 | 1,314
|
| | |
| | | |
| | | |
|
| Cancer (malignant neoplasms) | 1,681
| 1,742 | 1,801
| 1,871 | 1,883
| | 1,601
| 1,667 | 1,724
| 1,750 | 1,782
|
| | |
| | | |
| | | |
|
| Road Accidents | 149
| 166 | 137
| 110 | 119
| | 39 | 69
| 53 | 57
| 56 |
| Suicides | 101
| 121 | 115
| 90 | 107
| | 44 | 32
| 43 | 17
| 31 |
| Undetermined | 22
| 18 | 6
| 13 | 10
| | 7 | 12
| 4 | 8
| 3 |
| Other violent deaths | 207
| 245 | 216
| 184 | 252
| | 161 |
171 | 125
| 102 | 110
|
| All Violent Deaths | 479
| 550 | 474
| 397 | 488
| | 251
| 284 | 225
| 184 | 200
|
| All other Causes of Death | 644
| 608 | 598
| 562 | 594
| | 764
| 650 | 713
| 689 | 757
|
| | |
| | | |
| | | |
|
| Total Deaths | 8,154
| 7,993 | 7,648
| 7,469 | 7,362
| | 7,911
| 7,820 | 7,778
| 7,519 | 7,752
|
(Source: Northern Ireland Annual Abstract of Statistics,
1996, p.27-28)
Mortality Rates : by Cause and Gender
A comparison of Northern Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales
(Rates per 100,000 population)
| . | All Circulatory Diseases
| All Respiratory Diseases
| . | All Injuries and Poisonings
| . |
| . |
Total
| Ischaemic heart disease | Cerebro-
vascular disease
| Total | Bronchitis and allied conditions
| Cancer | Total
| Road
traffic
accidents |
Suicides & open verdicts |
Other causes
|
All causes |
Males |
| England | 449
| 285 | 84
| 146 | 59
| 283 | 40
| 9 | 16
| 113 | 1,031
|
| Wales | 473 |
306 | 85
| 149 | 59
| 297 | 47
| 10 | 20
| 110 | 1,076
|
| Scotland | 549
| 349 | 123
| 145 | 60
| 326 | 61
| 10 | 25
| 145 | 1,227
|
| Northern Ireland |
524
|
346 |
102
|
178 |
59
|
286 |
66
|
13 |
16
|
96 |
1,151
|
Females |
| England | 469
| 230 | 138
| 164 | 38
| 251 | 22
| 4 | 5
| 157 | 1,062
|
| Wales | 502 |
244 | 147
| 159 | 38
| 258 | 25
| 4 | 5
| 144 | 1,089
|
| Scotland | 592
| 288 | 203
| 155 | 43
| 293 | 34
| 4 | 8
| 177 | 1,252
|
| Northern Ireland |
579
|
303 |
177
|
211 |
36
|
251 |
28
|
7 |
4
|
123 |
1,189
|
All Persons |
| England | 460
| 257 | 112
| 155 | 48
| 267 | 30
| 6 | 10
| 135 | 1,048
|
| Wales | 488 |
274 | 117
| 154 | 48
| 277 | 36
| 7 | 12
| 127 | 1,082
|
| Scotland | 567
| 315 | 163
| 149 | 50
| 307 | 47
| 7 | 16
| 161 | 1,232
|
| Northern Ireland |
549
|
321 |
140
|
194 |
47
|
267 |
46
|
10 |
10
|
110 |
1,165
|
(Source: Office for National Sttistics, Regional Trends, 1996)
Infant Mortality in Northern Ireland, England, Scotland and
Wales
| . | Infant Mortality, (per 1,000 live and still births)
|
| . | 1971
| 1981 | 1993
| 1994 |
| Northern Ireland | 22.7
| 13.2 | 7.1
| 6.1 |
| England | 17.5
| 10.9 | 6.3
| 6.1 |
| Scotland | 19.9
| 11.3 | 6.5
| 6.2 |
| Wales | 18.4
| 12.6 | 5.5
| 6.2 |
(Source: Office for National Sttistics, Regional Trends, 1996)
Estimated Rate of Disability among Adults and numbers of Disabled
Adults in Northern Ireland, by Severity Category and Gender.
| . | Men
| | Women
| | Total
|
Severity
category | rate per
1,000
| number
(000s) |
| rate per
1,000 | number
(000s)
| | rate per
1,000
| number
(000s) |
| 1-2 | 54 |
30 | | 55
| 33 | | 55
| 63 |
| 3-4 | 34 |
19 | | 41
| 25 | | 38
| 44 |
| 5-6 | 26 |
15 | | 43
| 26 | | 35
| 41 |
| 7-8 | 20 |
11 | | 32
| 20 | | 26
| 31 |
| 9-10 | 14 |
8 | | 24
| 14 | | 19
| 22 |
| All Categories | 149
| 83 |
| 197 | 118
| | 174
| 201 |
(Source: Northern Ireland Annual Abstract of Statistics,
1996)
Estimated Rate of Disability among Children and Numbers of Disabled
Children in Northern Ireland by Gender, Age Group and Severity
Category.
| . |
Age Group
|
| . | .
| 0-4 years
| | 5-9 years
| | 10-15 years
| | All age groups
|
Severity
Category | .
| rate per
1,000 | number
(000s)
| | rate per
1,000 | number
(000s)
| | rate per
1,000 | number
(000s)
| | rate per
1,000 | number
(000s)
|
| 1-2 | Boys | 9
| 0.6 | |
8 | 0.6
| | 11 | 0.9
| | 9 | 2.0
|
| . | Girls
| 7 | 0.4
| | 4 | 0.3
| | 7 | 0.5
| | 6 | 1.2
|
| 3-4 | Boys | 6
| 0.4 | |
9 | 0.6
| | 9 | 0.7
| | 8 | 1.7
|
| . | Girls
| 4 | 0.3
| | 8 | 0.5
| | 5 | 0.4
| | 6 | 1.2
|
| 5-6 | Boys | 7
| 0.5 | |
8 | 0.5
| | 13 | 1.0
| | 9 | 2.0
|
| . | Girls
| 5 | 0.4
| | 9 | 0.6
| | 9 | 0.7
| | 8 | 1.6
|
| 7-8 | Boys | 2
| 0.1 | |
9 | 0.6
| | 7 | 0.6
| | 6 | 1.3
|
| . | Girls
| 2 | 0.1
| | 5 | 0.4
| | 9 | 0.6
| | 5 | 1.1
|
| 9-10 | Boys | -
| - | | 10
| 0.7 | |
10 | 0.7
| | 7 | 1.4
|
| . | Girls
| 2 | 0.1
| | 5 | 0.4
| | 9 | 0.6
| | 5 | 1.1
|
All
Categories |
Boys
|
24 |
1.7
| |
45
|
3.1 |
|
50 |
3.9
| |
40
|
8.6 |
| . | Girls
| 20 | 1.3
| | 32
| 2.1 |
| 35 | 2.6
| | 29
| 6.0 |
(Source: Northern Ireland Annual Abstract of Statistics,
1996)
Number of Hospital Discharges per year,
(incl. Deaths and transfers to other hospitals)
| . | 1988/89
| 1989/90 | 1990/91
| 1991/92 | 1992/93
| 1993/94 | 1994/95
|
| Acute Services | 204,239
| 208,203 | 207,300
| 210,414 | 215,400
| 219,999 | 221,954
|
| Maternity and Child Health | 38,863
| 37,583 | 38,108
| 38,012 | 37,168
| 46,530 | 50,701
|
| Elderly Care | 8,377
| 9,492 | 10,554
| 11,344 | 11,890
| 12,761 | 14,346
|
| Mental Health | 7,225
| 7,261 | 6,991
| 7,165 | 7,869
| 8,259 | 8,325
|
| learning Disability | 1,224
| 1,667 | 1,774
| 2,206 | 2,204
| 2,319 | 2,476
|
| Total Day Cases | 43,729
| 45,141 | 49,724
| 60,094 | 68,173
| 78,713 | 91,215
|
(Source: Northern Ireland Annual Abstract of Statistics,
1996, p. 32)
Available Hospital Beds by Programme of Care
| Programme of Care | 1988/89
| 1989/90 | 1990/91
| 1991/92 | 1992/93
| 1993/94 | 1994/95
|
| Acute Services | 5,932
| 5,679 | 5,463
| 5,268 | 5,112
| 4,872 | 4,633
|
| Maternity and Child Health |
943
|
902 |
889
|
857 |
813
|
973 |
1,015
|
| Elderly Care | 3,551
| 3,492 | 3,285
| 3,097 | 2,647
| 2,348 | 2,354
|
| Mental Health | 2,913
| 2,811 | 2,667
| 2,313 | 2,117
| 1,736 | 1,489
|
| Learning Disability | 1,345
| 1,270 | 1,184
| 1,065 | 1,023
| 949 | 860
|
(Source: Northern Ireland Annual Abstract of Statistics,
1996, p. 32)
Outpatient Activity
| . | 1988/89
| 1989/90 | 1990/91
| 1991/92 | 1992/93
| 1993/94 | 1994/95
|
| Total Referrals | 306,355
| 314,268 | 317,748
| 329,477 | 339,141
| 350,891 | 360,310
|
| Total consultant initiated | 991,823
| 1,002,935 | 983,502
| 992,008 | 1,001,130
| 999,095 | 1,049,746
|
Total attendances | 1,298,178
| 1,317,203 | 1,301,250
| 1,321,485 | 1,340,271
| 1,349,986 | 1,410,056
|
Clinic sessions | 66,710
| 69,835 | 72,425
| 73,998 | 76,325
| 80,056 | 83,092
|
| Non-attendance referrals | -
| 47,725 | 51,107
| 51,259 | 49,986
| 45,004 | 42,271
|
| Non-attendance consultant initiated | -
| 189,572 | 203,411
| 195,665 | 193,195
| 183,484 | 184,331
|
(Source: Northern Ireland Annual Abstract of Statistics,
1996, p. 32)
Attendance at Accident and Emergency Departments
| . | 1988/89
| 1989/90 | 1990/91
| 1991/92 | 1992/93
| 1993/94 | 1994/95
|
| First Attendances | 454,958
| 467,107 | 464,501
| 469,560 | 480,044
| 485,293 | 512,125
|
| Follow-up Attendances | 221,349
| 204,885 | 188,407
| 171,864 | 148,235
| 131,268 | 127,800
|
Total Attendance |
676,307
|
671,992 |
652,908
|
641,424 |
628,279
|
616,561 |
639,925
|
(Source: Northern Ireland Annual Abstract of Statistics,
1996, p. 32)
|
