HC Deb 14 June 2004 vol 422 cc724-5W
Mr. Willetts

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his latest estimate is of the average payment to a recipient of(a) incapacity benefit and (b) income-based job seeker's allowance. [177965]

Mr. Pond

In November 2003, the average weekly payment of incapacity benefit was £82.84 and the average weekly payment of income-based job seekers allowance was £62.62.

Note:

Figures are subject to sampling variation.

Source:

DWP-IAD Information Centre, 5 per cent. sample

Mr. Willetts

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the(a) costs of administering and (b) actual benefit expenditure for (i) the state retirement pension, (ii) child benefit, (iii) income support, (iv) minimum income guarantee of pension credit, (v) jobseekers allowance, (vi) disability living allowance and (viii) incapacity benefit in the latest year for which figures are available. [177490]

Malcolm Wicks

The information requested is in the table.

£ million Nominal terms
Benefit Administration

costs 1998–991

Estimated

benefit

expenditure

outturn

2003–04
Retirement Pension (including

earnings related)

314 46,467
Minimum Income Guarantee of

Pension Credit

n/a 4,544
Income Support 581 10,073
Jobseekers Allowance Contribution

Based

51 531
Jobseekers Allowance Income Based 330 2,027
Disability Living Allowance 119 7,589
Incapacity Benefit 375 6,715
2002–032
Child Benefit 125 8,945

1The latest figures available for administration costs for the benefits in the table are from the publication. "Social Security Departmental Report: The Government's Expenditure Plans 2000/01–2001/02". Administration costs for main benefits after this date is not currently available in the format requested. The Department now accounts for its administration and benefit expenditure by Strategic Objective, as set out in its Public Service Agreements (PSA), and by individual Requests for Resources (RfRs), as set out in the Departmental Estimates and Accounts. 2 This is the latest year for which figures are currently available. Responsibility for child benefit was transferred to Inland Revenue from April 2003.