§ Mr. BradleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of(a) the costs of and (b) the number of people who would benefit from increasing the £15 earnings disregard for claimants of the income support disability premium to £24.50 per week. [10136]
§ Mr. HealdThe information is in the table:
Effect of increasing the earnings disregard for those with the IS disability premium, from £15 to £24.50 per week. Total cost £5 million Gainers 10,000 1. The estimate assumes an increase in the earnings disregard in Income Support only. Costs include increased costs of housing benefit and council tax benefit due to increased entitlements to those benefits.
2. Modelled using the 1991–1992 and 1993 Family Expenditure Surveys, and the May 1994 Quarterly Statistical Enquiry, uprated to 1996–97 levels. Costs rounded to the nearest £5 million, gainers to the nearest 5,000.