§ Mr. RendelTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 30 November 1998,Official Report, columns 101–02, on social security expenditure, if he will list the new economic assumptions used in the pre-Budget report; and what estimate he has made of the future levels of increases or decreases in caseload. [62643]
12W
§ Mr. DarlingForecasts of Social Security benefit expenditure in the Pre-Budget Report take into account the economic assumptions set out in Table B5 and Paragraph B9 of the Report. Estimates of future caseloads for each benefit are in the table.
Thousand 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 Retirement Pension 10,645 10,772 10,867 10,928 Widow's Benefit 274 268 264 261 Incapacity Benefit—Short Term (LR) 118 115 117 118 Incapacity Benefit—Short Term (HR) and Long Term 1,571 1,550 1,559 1.598 Maternity Allowance 13 13 13 13 Guardian's Allowance and CSA 3 3 3 3 Non-Contributory Retirement Pension 25 24 23 23 War Pension 311 299 286 273 Attendance Allowance 1,250 1,306 1,361 1,409 Invalid Care Allowance 380 403 428 454 Severe Disablement Allowance 453 475 496 516 Disability Living Allowance 2,024 2,115 2,223 2,363 Disability Working Allowance 16 14 0 0 Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit and REA and RA 373 385 396 409 Industrial Death Benefit 18 17 17 16 Other II benefits 1 1 1 1 Earnings Top-up pilots 22 23 10 1 Jobseeker's Allowance—Contribution-based 214 216 216 217 Jobseeker's Allowance—Income-based 1,030 1,015 1,015 1,015 Income Support (IS)—Under Age 60 2,241 2,251 2,267 2,292 of which: IS—Short Term and Disabled 176 174 173 173 IS—Long Term and Disabled 960 1,009 1,061 1,116 IS—Families 954 914 874 836 IS—Widows and Others 148 142 148 151 Income Support—(Elderly) 1,683 1,798 1,909 2,021 Child Benefit—Number of children 12,769 12,762 12,771 12,762 Child Benefit—Number of families 7,067 7,062 7,076 7,085 One Parent Benefit 1,037 934 850 776 Family Credit 792 607 0 0 Rent Allowance 1,789 1,845 1,925 2,025 Council Tax Benefit/CCB 5,276 5,188 5,167 5,236 Rent Rebate 2,608 2,498 2,421 2,376