§ Mr. SalmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what the cost would be of increasing the earnings disregard for people in work claiming housing benefit by(a) 10 per cent., (b) 15 per cent. and (c) 20 per cent. in (i) Scotland and (ii) the UK. [119979]
§ Angela Eagle[holding answer 20 April 2000]: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table.
Cost in 2000–01 of increasing the earnings disregard for people in work claiming Housing Benefit by 10 per cent., 15 per cent, and 20 per cent, in Scotland and Great Britain £ million Per cent. Scotland Great Britain 10 2 18 15 3 27 20 3 37 Notes:
- 1. Based on the 1997–98 Family Resources Survey and Housing Benefit Administrative data for May 1998.
- 2. The figures are rounded to the nearest £1 million. The level of rounding reflects the fact that some of the figures are based on small samples and may be subject to a high degree of variability.
- 3. The Family Resources Survey only covers households in Great Britain, so figures which include Northern Ireland cannot be provided.