§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the extra costs(a) to local authorities and(b) to his Department of those additional benefits including (i) poll tax benefit and (ii) housing benefit payable to pensioners as a result of their becoming eligible for income support as a result of the recent uprating statement.
§ Miss Widdecombe[holding answer 5 November 1991]: Depending on the numbers of newly eligible pensioners who choose to claim, the total extra cost of their gains through income related benefit provision could be as much as £35 million in a full year. Any costs arising out of extra benefit provision by local authorities will be financed by central Government through the usual subsidy arrangements.
Source: Modelled using data drawn from the 1986–87–88 Family Expenditure Surveys.