§ 32. Sir Teddy TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the savings which will accrue to public funds from the cancellation of disablement benefits; and if he will make a statement. [142142]
§ Mr. BayleyThe reforms of Incapacity Benefit are not being driven by a need to make savings. We are committed to targeting help on those in greatest need. The cost of the improvements we are making for carers and disabled people will exceed any savings that may be made by the Incapacity Benefit reforms.
Between April 2001 and April 2002 we will spend around £200 million more on support for disabled people and their carers. Over the period 2001–04 we will spend an extra three quarters of a billion pounds on targeted benefits for these groups.