§ Mr. BettsTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what is the current cost of the statutory disregard of war disablement pensions and war widows' pensions for each applicable Government benefit; [6982]
(2) what is the cost to local authorities of the discretionary disregard of war disablement pensions and war widows' pensions for (a) housing benefit and (b) council tax benefit; [6977]
(3) how many local authorities give a full disregard to war disablement pensions and war widows' pensions in the calculation of housing and council tax benefit; how many authorities give a partial disregard; and how many give no disregard beyond the statutory £10; [6978]
(4) what would be the cost of disregarding the total of war disablement pensions and war widows' pensions for (a) housing benefit and (b) council tax benefit; [6979]
(5) what is the cost of the current £10 statutory disregard of war disablement pensions and war widows' pensions for (a) housing benefit and (b) council tax benefit; [6980]
(6) what would be the cost of disregarding the total of war disablement pensions and war widows' pensions for each applicable Government benefit. [6981]
§ Mr. Roger EvansThe information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is set out in the table.
Information on local authorities' discretionary schemes, other than in relation to levels of expenditure, is not collected centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
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Disregard of war disablement pensions and war widow's pensions in the income-related benefits: estimated costs £ million Housing benefit Council tax benefit Income support Total costs Estimated cost of current 15 5 5 25 mandatory disregards Estimated 45 15 35 95 additional cost of a total disregard Estimated overall 60 20 40 120 cost of a total disregard 1. For 1994–95, the latest date for which information is available, local authorities reported additional expenditure on discretionary schemes of around £30 million for housing benefit and £10.5 million for council tax benefit.
2. Costs for family credit, disability working allowance and income-based jobseeker's allowance are likely to he negligible.
3. Estimates are based on data given in local authority subsidy returns for 1994–95; the May 1994 income support quarterly statistical enquiry; and the 1991, 1992 and 1993 family expenditure surveys. The estimates have been uprated to 1996–97 levels.
4. In compiling these estimates, expenditure has been rounded, where appropriate, to the nearest £5 million. Estimates given are of a broad magnitude only due to lack of comprehensive data on receipt of war pensions for claimants of income-related benefits or potential claimants of income-related benefits.