§ Ms Rosie WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the cost of extending entitlement to jobseeker's allowance to national insurance(a) class 2 contributors and (b) class 4 contributors. [70434]
§ Angela Eagle[holding answer 11 February 1999]: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is as follows.
It is possible to provide information only in respect of those who claim contribution-based Jobseeker's Allowance but fail to qualify because they are class 2 contributors. It is estimated that the cost of extending contribution-based jobseekers allowance to this group is around £15 million per year.
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Average reduction in numbers receiving contributory bereavement benefits Less than 5,000 20,000 40,000 Average increase in numbers receiving Income Support Less than 5,000 Less than 5,000 10,000 Average increase in numbers receiving Housing Benefit Less than 5,000 Less than 5,000 Less than 5,000 Average increase in numbers receiving Council Tax Benefit Less than 5,000 Less than 5,000 Less than 5,000 Notes: 1. Estimates use information from the 1995–96 Family Resources Survey, the Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiry and forecasts from the Government Actuary's Department concerning the number of women affected by the proposed changes. 2. Estimates assume that a constant proportion over time of those affected by the proposed Bereavement Benefits move on to each of the means-tested benefits. 3. Estimates across means-tested benefits cannot be summed to provide an estimate of the total number of people affected by the changes.