HC Deb 19 June 2000 vol 352 c85W
Mr. Webb

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the level at which a family premium for families with one or more children under the age of five years could be introduced into the Child Benefit system by the expenditure of £600 million(a) assuming no changes to levels of mean-tested benefits and (b) assuming corresponding changes to levels of mean-tested benefits.[125284]

Angela Eagle

The information is in the table.

Weekly value of family premium
No corresponding increase in means-tested benefits 5.70
With corresponding increase in means-tested benefits 4.20

Notes:

1. The figures provided do not make allowance for the additional administrative and system change costs.

2. The proportion of families with a child under the age of five has been estimated from the February 2000 5 per cent. scan of the Child Benefit computer system.

3. Proportions of families on income-related benefits who have a child under the age of five have been estimated from the February 2000 5 per cent. scans of the Income Support and Jobseeker's Allowance computer systems and the May 1998 1 per cent. sample of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit claims.

4. The overall case loads underpinning the estimates have been controlled to forecast 2001–02 Child Benefit case loads.

5. Value of family premium rounded to the nearest 10 pence.

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