§ Mr. MullinTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the cost to his Department of disregarding war disablement and war widows' pensions in their entirety for the purpose of calculating housing benefit and council tax rebates. [33880]
§ Mr. Roger EvansA broad estimate of the cost of fully disregarding all war disablement pensions and war widows' pensions for housing benefit and council tax benefit purposes is £80 million per annum.
Notes:
1. Estimates are based upon the May 1994 Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiry; the 1991, 1992 and 1993 Family Expenditure Survey; and data given in local authority subsidy returns for 1994–95.2. Estimates have been uprated to 1996–97 levels and use factors derived from the 1996 Departmental Report on the growth of average Housing Benefit and the growth of the war pensions caseload.3. In compiling these estimates, expenditure has been rounded, wherever appropriate, to the nearest £5 million.4. Estimates are broad order estimates only, due to lack of comprehensive data.