HC Deb 18 April 1988 vol 131 c344W
Mr. Gordon Brown

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a table showing the real increase in expenditure in social security between 1978–79 and 1987–88 broken down into the main reasons for the increase on the same basis as contained in the "Government's Expenditure Plans 1987–88 to 1989–90", volume II, 3.15, paragraph 39.

Mr. Scott

Over the period 1978–79 to 1987–88 the social security programme increased by £13 billion (at 1987–88 prices) or by 39 per cent. in real terms. The main reasons for the increase were:

  1. (i) £4 billion due to real increases in the average amounts of benefit paid (whether due to changes in the basic rates of benefit or other factors)
  2. (ii) £3.75 billion due to increased numbers of unemployed people receiving benefits
  3. (iii) £2.5 billion due to increased numbers of retirement pensioners
  4. (iv) £2.25 billion due to increased numbers receiving disability benefits
  5. (v) £1.5 billion due to increased numbers of single parents receiving benefits
  6. (vi) £0.75 billion reflecting the increased costs of administering a larger number of claims for benefits offset by reductions of:
  7. (vii) £1 billion reflecting the introduction of statutory sick pay and a decrease in the incidence of short term sickness.
  8. (viii) £0.75 billion from reductions in the numbers of widows and children and in the numbers of women receiving maternity benefits.