§ Mr. Squireasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list all the main unpledged social security benefits together with an estimate of the cost of each 1 per cent. increase in their rates.
§ Mr. NewtonThe cost of a 1 per cent. increase in the main non-means-tested, unpledged social security benefits using November 1984 benefit rates is as follows:
£ million Unemployment benefit 15 Sickness benefit 3 Maternity allowance 2 Mobility allowance 4 Child benefit 43 One-parent benefit 1 Family income supplement 5 73 The cost of a 1 per cent. increase in the means-tested, unpledged benefits—supplementary allowance (ie excluding supplementary pension) and housing benefit—varies according to the assumptions made about the uprating of other benefits. On the assumption that all the main benefits, pledged and unpledged, were increased by 1 per cent. the net cost would be as follows:
£ million Supplementary allowance 57 Housing benefit 3 60 Total £133