§ Mr. Chris SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what are his estimates, broken down into claimant group, of the numbers of income support claimants who, in the event of a general increase of benefit levels in April 1989 of 4 per cent. will, at that date, as a result of 1988–89 transitional protection, receive(a) no benefit increase, (b) an increase of less than £1 and (c) an increase of less than 4 per cent.
§ Mr. ScottIn the event of a 4 per cent. increase in benefit levels in April 1989, an estimated 540,000 income support claimants would receive no benefit increase at uprating. An estimated 600,000 would receive an increase of less than 4 per cent. Information on the number who would receive an increase of less than £1 is not available.