HC Deb 12 November 1987 vol 122 cc289-90W
Mrs. Beckett

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will provide a revised version of the information contained in the document, "Impact of the Reformed Structure of Income-Related Benefits", issued in October 1987, so as to show the income effects on claimants after April 1988 and their position at the time the Social Security Act 1986 received the Royal Assent, in particular taking into account changes to housing benefit in April 1987; and if he will provide, with each table, a list of the main assumptions used to arrive at the totals contained therein.

Mr. Portillo

The information could be prepared only at disproportionate cost.

Mrs. Beckett

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will provide a breakdown of the extra £100 million to be spent on families with children on income support, referred to in his statement of 27 October,Official Report, column 181.

Mr. Scott

£100 million is a rounding down of the figure arrived at by multiplying the total number of families with children on income support by the average gain in real terms after meeting housing costs shown in the revised technical annex. A breakdown is provided below:

Type of claimant Numbers (thousands) Average real terms gain Increase in expenditure £ million
Lone Parent 600 2.60 81
Unemployed and others 510 1.50 40
Total 1,110 2.10 121