§ 101. Mr. Bingasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what saving is estimated to result in the first full year in the expenditure of the National Assistance Board in regard to the augmentation of retirement pensions, sickness and industrial injury benefits, widow's benefit, and unemployment benefit, respectively, as a result of increase in these benefits and pensions proposed by his Department.
§ Mr. Marples,pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, Tuesday, 7th December, 1954; Vol. 535, c. 35], provided the following
The following table gives, in the first column, the amounts at present being paid by way of supplementation of the various benefits, and in the second column the amounts which it is estimated would be spent in a full year as the result of the increases in benefits and Assistance scales now before Parliament.
56W
— (1) Amount at present rates (2) Amount with proposed augmented rates £ £ Retirement Pensions 36,700,000 23,100,000 Sickness and industrial injury benefits 7,700,000 5,500,000 Widows Benefit 4,900,000 4,200,000 Unemployment benefit 1,400,000 900,000 Notes:
Column(1) is the estimated current annual rate of expenditure, based on the number of Assistance cases in October, 1954.
Column(2) is as Column (1), taking account of the proposed additions both to National Assistance rates and to the rates of war pensions, Industrial Injuries, and National Insurance benefits and pensions.