§ Mr. Frank FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security by how much the winter supplementary estimate for class XII, vote 1 proposes to increase provision for 1996–97 in respect of cyclical income support; how much of this increase corresponds to the reduction in income-based jobseeker's allowance; and how much results from the larger than expected increases in the numbers of(a) sick and disabled people and (b) unemployed people claiming income support. [6413]
§ Mr. Roger EvansThe transfer of expenditure from jobseeker's allowance, income based to income support, cyclical, arising from how these benefits are included in the main estimate, has had no impact on the increase in provision for 1996–97, in respect of cyclical social security.
It is estimated that of the £350 million increase in provision for cyclical social security:
£300 million relates to sick and disabled people;£50 million relates to a higher proportion of the unemployed getting (income related) benefit.