§ The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Mr. Andrew Smith)Today I have published the latest estimates of the take-up of income related benefits. Estimates are presented for Income Support, Minimum Income Guarantee, Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit and Jobseeker's Allowance (Income Based) for 2000–01. Copies of the publication have been placed in the Library.
The take-up estimates are presented in two ways, by expenditure and caseload. Expenditure is the actual amount of benefit claimed as a proportion of the total of claimed and unclaimed benefit. Caseload is the total number of people claiming as a proportion of the total number estimated to be eligible to claim. Estimates of take-up are derived from the Family Resources Survey and the MVP's own administrative data on benefit receipt.
These new figures give us a much better idea on the crucial question of how many pensioners are getting the help they're entitled to. They confirm that our policies are working to get more money out to the pensioners who need it most.
The new take-up figures indicate that among the poorest pensioners—who would have been entitled to the MIG even without the Government's decision to make it more generous—the take up rate has increased significantly, by 3 to 4 percentage points.
The overall picture also contains good news. Take-up is now being measured more precisely—the range of possible values for the take-up rate has been narrowed thanks to the use of external research.
Last year's take-up figures (calculated for 1999–2000) showed a possible range of 64 to 78 per cent. (the midpoint of this range is 71 per cent.) of pensioners claiming their MIG entitlement; this year's figures (calculated for 1999–2000) show a range of 68 to 76 per cent. (the midpoint of this range is 72 per cent.).
If we look at the percentage of entitlement claimed then the figures are better—as those poorer pensioners with the largest amount of entitlement are more likely to claim. Last year's take up figures showed a possible range of 74 to 86 per cent. (the mid-point of this range is 80 per cent.) of entitlement being claimed; but this year's figures show a range from 78 to 86 per cent. (the midpoint of this range is 82 per cent.).