§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the value of the 20 per cent. poll tax compensation within income support in 1991–92(a) for individual claimants and (b) in total.
§ Miss WiddecombeThe current value of the amounts which were included in income-related benefit levels in 1989 towards 20 per cent. of the community charge is equivalent to an average community charge for all claimants of £367. This compares with an estimated net average community charge for all income support claimants in 1991–92 of £210 across Great Britain as a whole, taking no account of capping. The estimated total cost of including these amounts in income-related benefit levels in 1991–92 is £540 million.