§ 44. Mr. Dixonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the overshoot of inflation in the 1982 uprating (a) for national insurance benefits, and (b) for supplementary benefit; and if he will take any difference into account for purposes of uprating benefits in 1983.
§ Mr. RossiMost benefits, including national insurance benefits, were increased by 11 per cent. at the 1982 uprating. Two per cent. was to make good the unintended shortfall which occurred at the 1981 uprating and the remaining nine per cent. allowed for the estimated 125W movement in prices over the period November 1981 to November 1982. The overshoot in the uprating, as compared with the movement of the general index of retail prices—RPI—in that period, was 2.7 per cent.
Supplementary benefit was increased in November 1982 by 10.5 per cent. Two per cent. was to make good the 1981 shortfall and 8.5 per cent. allowed for the estimated movement in prices broadly adjusted to exclude housing costs, over the period November 1981 to November 1982. The overshoot in this case, as compared with the movement of the RPI less housing in that period, was two per cent.
It has been made clear, most recently in "The Government's Expenditure Plans 1983–84 to 1985–86" (Cmnd. 8789, II), that, in taking decisions about the 1983 uprating, we will have regard to the overshoot in the 1982 uprating.