§ Mr. Litterickasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his Department's estimate of the cost of raising invalid care allowance to the level of current unemployment benefit, taking into account the saving in supplementary benefit payments which would accrue.
§ Mr. Alfred MorrisIt is estimated that the gross cost of raising the rate of invalid care allowance to that of unemployment benefit would be £1.5 million a year. This includes analogous increases for adult dependants and the continued payment of increases for children at the long-term benefit rate. If the consequent savings of supplementary benefit are taken into account, it is estimated that the net cost would be about £1 million a year.