§ Mr. BradleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security which benefit or benefits claimants of incapacity benefit will receive while their claims after 197 days are being assessed and in the 1994–95 financial year, what level of funding this will represent(a) for each individual per week and (b) in the full financial year per individual; what is the total spend nationally on such benefits in the financial year 1994–95; and what is his planned spend on incapacity benefit for the financial years 1995–96, 1996–97 and 1997–98.
§ Mr. ScottAfter 28 weeks of incapacity, incapacity benefit recipients will receive the higher rate short-term benefit. They will receive this rate of benefit while they are being assessed under the new objective medical incapacity test. As the new benefit will not be implemented until April 1995, there are no financial implications for the financial year 1994–95. The estimated total cost of incapacity benefit for the years 1995–96 and 1996–97 is £8,100 million and £7,550 million respectively. A figure for 1997–98 is not yet available.