§ Mr. Gordon Brownasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what he estimates he will spend on single payments in 1985–86, 1986–87 and 1987–88; and if he will publish a table showing the real value of single payments in these years compared with 1984–85;
(2) what he estimates he will spend on heating additions in the years 1985–86, 1986–87 and 1987–88; and if he will publish a table showing the real value of heating additions in these years compared with 1984–85.
§ Mr. Major[pursuant to his reply, 23 January 1986, c. 310]: Estimates of supplementary benefit expenditure are made on the basis of broad claimant types and separate, reliable projections of future expenditure for specific components such as heating additions and single payments are not available. In the financial year 1984–85 expenditure on single payments was £241 million while in the current financial year expenditure until 14 January 1986 was £243 million. No equivalent information for heating additions is available and the usual detailed survey 607W data have been delayed as the result of the Newcastle dispute but it is estimated that expenditure on heating additions in 1984–85 was about £400 million.
§ Sir Brandon Rhys Williamsasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a table similar to table 6A in the technical annex to the social security White Paper, Cmnd. 9691 showing, (a) the number of people in each client group who will be unaffected by his proposals, (b) the numbers gaining or losing less than £1, (c) the numbers gaining or losing between £1 and £5 and (d) the numbers gaining or losing between £5 and £10, distinguishing in each case between (i) child benefit, (ii)supplementary benefit or income support (iii) family income supplement or family credit, (iv) free school meals, (v) free welfare milk and (vi) housing benefit, assuming a minimum 20 per cent. rates contribution.
Housing benefit: changes in disposable income after meeting housing costs: by client group Cash position at point of change Thousands Client group Increases Total increased No change Total decreased Decreases £5+ £1–£5 <£1 £1 £1–£5 £5+ Pensioners age 80+ * 50 40 90 170 440 210 230 * Pensioners age 60–79 10 130 90 230 620 2,310 890 1,380 40 Sick or disabled 10 40 20 70 30 110 30 70 * Single parents * * * * 30 540 130 340 70 Couples with children —in full-time work 10 * 10 20 20 370 20 210 140 —not in full-time work 10 10 * 20 20 530 180 340 10 Others —in full-time work 10 10 * 10 10 210 20 140 50 —not in full-time work * 20 * 20 110 670 190 390 90 Total 40 260 150 460 1,010 5,170 1,670 3,100 400 Notes:
(1) These estimates are based entirely on the Family Expenditure Survey (FES) simulation model. As explained in paragraph 2.8 of the Technical Annex, estimates of the combined effects of the income support and housing benefit changes on claimants currently claiming supplementary benefit were based on a model which imputed levels of general rates using 1982 (ie pre-housing benefit) data. This was done because there is no single source which includes information on both general rates and details of supplementary benefits requirements. When the effect of the housing benefit changes alone is required more accurate results are obtained from the FES model.
(2) The estimates include the effect of a 20 per cent. rates contribution.
(3) The estimates include the effect on housing benefit of the family credit proposals.
(4) The estimates are not adjusted for differential take-up.
(5) Numbers have been rounded to 10,000 (* means a figure of less that 5,000). Due to rounding, some totals may not be equal to the sum of the component parts.
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§ Mr. Newton[pursuant to his reply, 28 January 1986, c. 507]: I regret that the information is not readily available in the precise form requested.
Information about the impact of the change from supplementary benefit to income support and from family income supplement to family credit is, respectively, in tables l A and 3(i)A of the technical annex.
In both cases a notional cash value for free school meals and milk is included in the tables; separate reliable estimates are not available for these benefits.
The following table gives information about the impact of the changes in housing benefit, including the effects of the family credit proposals, using the illustrative assumptions in the technical annex. For the reasons given in the notes to the table, these estimates are not exactly compatible with the technical annex. Child benefit is not affected by the structural reforms.