§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the reason for the interval between the uprating announcement and the payment of uprated benefits; and if he will make a statement.
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§ Miss WiddecombeThe administrative complexities of changing the level of payment for several million beneficiaries receiving a wide range of different benefits means that a considerable period of time is required between the announcement and payment of uprated benefits.
§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security which benefits have been uprated in line with inflation since 1979; and which have not.
§ Mr. JackThe Government are now spending more on social security, in real terms, than ever before. Expenditure increased by £14–5 billion in real terms at 1990–91 prices between 1979–80 and 1990–91, a real increase of 35 per cent.
Taking the period since 1979 as a whole, all weekly benefit rates have been uprated in line with inflation, or better in some cases, with the exceptions of child benefit, statutory sick pay and sickness benefit. These have been uprated but not always in line with inflation.