HC Deb 11 May 2001 vol 368 cc389-90W
Mr. Field

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer to the Member for Wythenshawe and Sale, East (Mr. Goggins) of 1 May 2001,Official Report, column 594W, what analysis his Department has carried out on the changes in the growth of social security expenditure to isolate the changes in benefit expenditure on (i) unemployed claimants, (ii) single parents, (iii) changes in entitlement arising from legislation passed prior to May 1997, (iv) changes in entitlement arising from legislation passed since May 1997 and (v) other causes; and if he Will place a copy in the Library. [160839]

Mr. Rooker

No analysis has been made in the format outlined in the question, as it would not be possible to identify separately the continuing effects of all legislation since 1991–92.

The analysis that has been carried out is presented in the table.

2001–01 prices1
£billion
Expenditure on unemployed people 2 Expenditure on lone parents 3 Expenditure arising from legislative change since May 1997 4
1991–92 9.5 5.5 n/a
1996–97 8.4 8.1 n/a
change from 1991–92 —1.1 +2.6 n/a
2000–01 4.2 7.4 2.5
change from 1991–92 –5.3 +2.0 n/a
change from 1996–97 –4.2 –0.6 2.5
2003–04 4.2 7.2 8.8
change from 1991–92 –5.3 +1.7 n/a
change from 1996–97 –4.2 –0.8 8.8
1 Figures are rounded to the nearest £0.1 billion. Change figures may not appear to sum due to rounding.
2 Expenditure on unemployed people by reason of their unemployment, through Unemployment Benefit (1996–97 only), Income Support (1996–97 only), Jobseeker's Allowance, Housing and Council Tax Benefits.
3 Expenditure on lone parents by reason of their lone parent status, through Income Support, Housing and Council Tax Benefits.
4 Figures relate to new measures affecting Social Security benefits for pensioners and families. They do not include Working Families' Tax Credit or Disabled Person's Tax Credit.

Analysis of changes in expenditure on unemployed people and lone parents has been made from administrative data. Analysis of the change in expenditure arising from legislation since May 1997 affecting social security benefits for pensioners and families has been made using administrative data and statistical models. The figures provided by the different analyses are not mutually exclusive, in that some of the changes in expenditure arising from legislative change will have applied to unemployed people and lone parents, notably the increases in child amounts in income-related benefits. Therefore, the change figures cannot be added together. The figures do not account for all the changes since 1991–92, nor do they cover all groups of recipients.

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