HC Deb 26 May 1988 vol 134 cc272-3W
Mr. Boswell

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the annual cost of raising the capital disregard for social security benefits to £5,000 with a level taper to £10,000.

Mrs. Ann Winterton

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the cost of raising the start of the tariff income for social security benefits from £5,000 with an upper limit of £10,000.

Mr. Portillo

[holding answer 25 April 1988]: The additional cost over and above that of the changes announced on 27 April 1988 would be £85 million.

Mr. Boswell

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the annual cost of raising the capital disregard for social security benefits to £10,000 for married couples.

Mr. Portillo

[holding answer 25 April 1988]: The additional cost over and above that of the changes announced on 27 April 1988 would be £25 million.

Mrs. Ann Winterton

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the cost of raising the disregard threshold for social security benefits from £6,000 to £7,000.

Mr. Portillo

[holding answer 25 April 1988]: The annual cost would have been £24 million.

Mr. Jack

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the cost of raising the disregard threshold for income support from £6,000 to £10,000.

Mr. Portillo

[holding answer 25 April 1988]: The annual cost would have been £10 million.

Mr. Jack

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the cost of raising the start of the tariff income for social security benefits to £4,000 with an upper limit of £10,000.

Mr. Portillo

[holding answer 25 April 1988]: The additional cost over and above that of the changes announced on 27 April 1988 would be £55 million.

Mr. Jack

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the cost of raising the disregard threshold for social security benefits from £6,000 to £8,000.

Mr. Portillo

[holding answer 25 April 1988]: The annual cost would have been £39 million.

Mr. Anthony Coombs

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the cost to the Treasury of raising the capital disregard for social security purposes from the £6,000 proposed to £9,000.

Mr. Portillo

[holding answer 25 April 1988]: The annual cost would have been £52.5 million.