§ Mr. Alan HowarthTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of(a) the cost and (b) the numbers gaining if entitlement to mortgage interest payments as currently payable with income support were extended to (i) family credit and (ii) disability working allowance. [6731]
§ Mr. Roger EvansThe cost of extending help with mortgage interest payments would be £1.1 billion in family credit and £17 million in disability working allowance.
The measure would help 515,000 people in family credit and 5,000 in disability working allowance including people who would become newly entitled as a result.
Notes:
1. It is not possible to estimate the effect of the October 1995 income support mortgage interest changes which introduced new waiting periods and the standard interest rate for calculating help.
2. Data have been modelled on the 1994–95 family resources survey (FRS), uprated to 1996–97 price and benefit levels.
3. Amounts have been rounded to the nearest £100 million in family credit and £1 million in disability working allowance.
4. Caseloads have been rounded to the nearest 5,000 in family credit and 1,000 in disability working allowance.
5. The number of people becoming newly entitles to benefit is estimated at 265,000 in family credit and 3,000 in disability working allowance.