Benefit Fraud (Hansard, 10 February 1997)

§ Mr. Battle
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much is being spent in the current financial year on the publicity campaign to tackle benefit frauds, broken down by parliamentary constituency. [13819]

§ Mr. Heald
The information is not available in the format requested.
The publicity cost of the "Spotlight on Benefit Cheats" campaign this financial year has been £2.5 million. The

Social fund—capital disregards

Capital disregard Date introduced Uprated by prices¹ Uprated by earnings²

Maternity/funeral payments £500 April 1987 £760.50 £918.40

Budgeting loans and community care grants £500 April 1988 £736.85 £851.90

Budgeting loans, community care grants and maternity-funeral payments for applicants aged 60 and over £1000 April 1990 £1,338.05 £1,426.30

¹ The Retail Prices Index (all items) less rent, local taxes and mortgage interest payments, and the Average Earnings Index (Whole economy unadjusted) as published by the Office of National Statistics, have been used in this table. All calculations are rounded to the nearest 5p at each uprating date.

§ Sir Andrew Bowden
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the value of the widow's payment in 1997–98 if it had been uprated by(a) prices and (b) earnings since its introduction. [14279]

§ Mr. Heald
The widow's payment of £1,000 was introduced in April 1988. From April 1997, the payment would be £1,504.15 if it had been uprated in line with prices and £1,703.95 if it had been uprated by average earnings.
Source:
Retail Prices Index (all items) and the Average Earnings Index (Whole Economy), as published by the Office of National Statistics.

Social fund—capital disregards
	Capital disregard	Date introduced	Uprated by prices¹	Uprated by earnings²
Maternity/funeral payments	£500	April 1987	£760.50	£918.40
Budgeting loans and community care grants	£500	April 1988	£736.85	£851.90
Budgeting loans, community care grants and maternity-funeral payments for applicants aged 60 and over	£1000	April 1990	£1,338.05	£1,426.30
¹ The Retail Prices Index (all items) less rent, local taxes and mortgage interest payments, and the Average Earnings Index (Whole economy unadjusted) as published by the Office of National Statistics, have been used in this table. All calculations are rounded to the nearest 5p at each uprating date.