§ Mr. Alan HowarthTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his latest estimate of (a) the numbers gaining and (b) the cost of extending payments of income support for four weeks to people who (i) are unemployed, (ii) have been unemployed for two years or more and (iii) are claimants in receipt of a disability premium. [15427]
§ Mr. Andrew MitchellThe information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is set out in the table:
Estimate of the number gaining and cost of extending payment of jobseeker's allowance (income based) for four weeks to the unemployed who come off the benefit because they have found work by duration of unemployment in 1997–98 All unemployed Unemployed for two years or more Numbers gaining 1,580,000 30,000 Cost £340 million £10 million 1 Costs are rounded to the nearest £10 million, the number of gainers is rounded to the nearest 10,000.
2. Figures are based on estimates of the number of unemployed leaving jobseeker's allowance (income based) for work in a full year consistent with Her Majesty's Treasury unemployment assumption of 1.8 million in 1997–98.
3. Behavioural changes have not been taken into account.
340W4. 100 per cent. take up is assumed.
5. No in-work benefits are taken into account.
6. Income support for the unemployed was replaced by jobseeker's allowance on 7 October 1996.
7. It is assumed that benefit is extended only to those who begin work. There is not sufficient data to allow a robust estimate of the cost and numbers of people gaining from extending income support for four weeks to those in receipt of the disability premium who begin work.