§ 21. Mr. RendelWhen her departmental spending projections will be amended to take account of the Government's measures to increase take-up of benefits. [19077]
§ Mr. FieldThe Government are undertaking research into why up to 1 million pensioners do not claim the income support to which they appear to be entitled. We will follow that by initiating a series of pilot schemes on how best to deliver help to those who are eligible but do not claim. Only then will be in a position to amend our expenditure totals.
§ Mr. RendelIf we assume for the moment that these plans are successful, as we must hope they are, and that take-up increases, will the Minister assure us that the Chancellor has told him that he will pay for increased take-up by an increase in the social security budget, or will it have to be paid for by a decrease in benefit levels?
§ Mr. FieldThe hon. Gentleman has a one-dimensional view of the make-up of the expenditure budget. A future budget can be affected by levels of employment and demographic changes; it may also be affected by the effectiveness of the pilot schemes that we hope to initiate shortly. Only then can we make a decision in the round on what will happen to our expenditure totals.