§ Ms LynneTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the current level of expenditure on child benefit for 16 to 19 years, broken down by(a) age and (b) level of family income (i) before and (ii) after housing costs. [39234]
§ Mr. Andrew MitchellExpenditure in 1995–96 on child benefit for 16-year-olds was estimated to be £320 million, for 17-year-olds £225 million and for 18-year-olds £100 million, a total of £645 million. Distribution of child benefit expenditure for 16 to 18-year-olds in 1992–93, the latest date for which information is available, is in the table:
589W
Distribution of child benefit expenditure for children aged 16 to 18 by equivalised income band, UK 1992–93 Percentages Equivalised weekly household income (January 1993 prices) Before housing costs After housing costs £100 or less 10 19 ã£100 to £150 18 16 ã£150 to £200 19 22 ã£200 to £250 16 14 ã£250 to £300 13 11 ã£300 to £350 8 7 Over £350 17 12 1. Information in the table is derived from the 1992/93 Households Below Average Income dataset. 1992/93 figures are for two calendar years data combined.
2. Income bands are based on the standard Households Below Average Income definition of income—weekly household disposable income adjusted for household size and composition (equivalised).
3. Estimates are shown by £50 income bands except where figures would be unreliable due to small sample sizes. All estimates are subject to sampling error.
§ Ms LynneTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the gross and net savings from removing child benefit from those aged 16 to 19 years. [39233]
§ Mr. MitchellRemoving child benefit for 16 to 18-year-olds would save approximately £650 million gross and approximately £520 million net assuming that child allowances continue to be payable in other benefits.