§ Paddy AshdownTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what the estimate is of the amount of unclaimed(a) Child Benefit, (b) Council Tax Benefit, (c) Housing Benefit, (d) Income Support, (e) Invalid Care Allowance, (f) Incapacity Benefit, (g) Jobseeker's Allowance, (h) Retirement Pension, (i) Severe Disablement Allowance and (j) Disability Living Allowance in (i) the United Kingdom and (ii) the Yeovil constituency, for the latest year for which each figure is available; and if he will make a statement. [146617]
§ Mr. RookerEstimates of the amount of unclaimed income-related benefits in Great Britain (Council Tax Benefit, Housing Benefit, Income Support, Jobseeker's Allowance) can be found in "Income Related Benefits Estimates of Take-Up 1998–99", a copy of which is in the Library.
There are no comparable estimates available of the amount of unclaimed Invalid Care Allowance, Incapacity Benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance or Disability Living Allowance.
No precise estimates are available of the amount of retirement pension left unclaimed, although take-up is thought to be between 95 per cent. and 100 per cent. On average around 98 per cent. of families take up their entitlement to Child Benefit. No estimates are available for different parts of Great Britain.