---

30 Nov 2005 : Column 604W—continued

WORK AND PENSIONS

Benefit Expenditure

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was spent on (a) jobseeker's allowance, (b) incapacity benefit and (c) the administration of each in (i) 1997 and (ii) the most recent year for which information is available; and how many recipients of each benefit there were at 1 January in each year. [31238]

Mr. Plaskitt [holding answer 30 November 2005]: The information regarding the amount spent on jobseeker's allowance and incapacity benefit is in the table.
Expenditure on incapacity benefit and jobseeker's allowance in Great Britain in 1997–98 and 2004–05 Million

	Nominal terms		Real terms
	1997–98	2004–05	1997–98	2004–05
Contribution-based Jobseeker's Allowance	475	438	576	449
Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance	3,418	1,729	4,144	1,772
Total Jobseeker's Allowance	3,893	2,167	4,720	2,221
Incapacity Benefit—working age	6,744	6,679	8,175	6,846
Severe Disablement Allowance— Working Age	862	783	1,045	802
Income Support for people under 60s, excluding the unemployed— Long Term Sick and Disabled	3,163	4,786	3,834	4,906
Income Support for people under 60s, excluding the unemployed— Short Term Sick	516	421	625	431
Total Working Age incapacity benefits	11,285	12,669	13,679	12,985

Notes:
1.All data is consistent with the 2005 Budget.
2.All figures have been rounded to the nearest million pounds.
3.The DWP Expenditure Tables can be accessed at the following internet address:
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/medium_term.asp
Source:
The Expenditure data has been taken from tables 1, 2, 3, 4 and 7 of the DWP Expenditure Tables.

Information regarding the administration cost of jobseeker's allowance and incapacity benefit is not currently available in the format requested. In accordance with the requirements of Resource Accounting and Budgeting 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 (RfR's), as set out in the Departmental Estimates and Accounts. Information on administrative expenditure by strategic objective is available in the Departmental Report for 2005 (Cm 6539), which is available in the Library.

The available information regarding the number of recipients of jobseeker's allowance and incapacity benefit is in the tables.
Jobseeker's allowance recipients: Great Britain, January and February 1997 and 2005

	1997	2005
January	1,747,300	784,800
February	1,684,800	788,600

Note:
Figures are seasonally adjusted.
Source:
Seasonally adjusted count of unemployment-related benefits, Jobcentre Plus computer systems.




Working age incapacity benefit/severe disability allowance beneficiaries: Great Britain, February 1997 and 2005

	Number
1997	1,974,100
2005	1,786,900

Notes:
1.Caseloads are rounded to the nearest 100.
2.February 1997 figures were produced using the 5 per cent. data and have been rated up proportionally for consistency with the WPLS 100 per cent. IB/SDA totals.
3.'Beneficiaries' figures include all IB and SDA (excluding IB credits only cases).
Source:
DWP Information Directorate, five per cent Sample for 1997 and Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS) 100 per cent. data for 2005.

Ed Balls: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much has been spent on (a) jobseeker's allowance and (b) incapacity benefit in (i) West Yorkshire and (ii) Normanton constituency since 2001. [31565]

Mr. Plaskitt: The information is in the tables.
 
30 Nov 2005 : Column 605W
 

Jobseeker's allowance and incapacity benefits expenditure in West Yorkshire and the Normanton parliamentary constituency £ millions, nominal terms

		Outturn
		2001–02	2002–03	2003–04	2004–051
Total jobseeker's allowance, of which:	West Yorkshire	115.261	109.761	101.889	81.844
	Normanton	3.091	2.464	1.941	1.788
Jobseeker's allowance—contribution based	West Yorkshire	18.638	19.119	17.938	15.706
	Normanton	1.009	0.847	0.692	0.541
Jobseeker's allowance—income based	West Yorkshire	96.623	90.642	83.951	66.138
	Normanton	2.082	1.617	1.249	1.247
Total incapacity benefits, of which:	West Yorkshire	477.805	481.689	485.254	501.234
	Normanton	16.949	16.530	16.362	17.252
Incapacity benefit—working age	West Yorkshire	263.024	265.096	261.094	263.248
	Normanton	11.546	11.559	11.303	11.473
Severe disablement allowance—working age	West Yorkshire	31.698	28.638	27.463	28.118
	Normanton	1.411	1.291	1.209	1.171
Income support for people under 60, excluding	West Yorkshire	164.071	168.732	177.060	191.211
the unemployed—long-term sick and disabled	Normanton	3.514	3.239	3.370	4.088
Income support for people under 60, excluding	West Yorkshire	19.012	19.223	19.637	18.657
the unemployed—short-term sick	Normanton	0.478	0.441	0.480	0.520

⁽⁴³⁾Estimated.



Jobseeker's allowance and incapacity benefits expenditure in West Yorkshire and the Normanton parliamentary constituency £ millions, real terms (2005–06 prices)

		Outturn
		2001–02	2002–03	2003–04	2004–051
Total jobseeker's allowance, of which:	West Yorkshire	128.116	117.964	106.504	83.891
	Normanton	3.436	2.648	2.030	1.832
Jobseeker's allowance—contribution based	West Yorkshire	20.717	20.548	18.750	16.099
	Normanton	1.122	0.910	0.724	0.554
Jobseeker's allowance—income based	West Yorkshire	107.399	97.416	87.754	67.792
	Normanton	2.314	1.738	1.306	1.278
Total working age incapacity benefits, of which:	West Yorkshire	531.092	517.688	507.235	513.768
	Normanton	18.839	17.764	17.102	17.683
Incapacity benefit—working age	West Yorkshire	292.358	284.908	272.921	269.830
	Normanton	12.834	12.422	11.815	11.760
Severe disablement allowance—working age	West Yorkshire	35.233	30.778	28.707	28.822
	Normanton	1.568	1.388	1.264	1.200
Income support for people under 60, excluding	West Yorkshire	182.369	181.343	185.081	195.993
the unemployed—long-term sick and disabled	Normanton	3.905	3.481	3.522	4.190
Income support for people under 60, excluding	West Yorkshire	21.132	20.659	20.526	19.123
the unemployed—short-term sick	Normanton	0.532	0.473	0.501	0.533

⁽⁴⁴⁾Estimated.
Notes:
1.Parliamentary constituencies and local authorities are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant postcode directory.
2.West Yorkshire (Metropolitan County) is made up of the following local authorities: Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield.
3.Incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance expenditure has been apportioned using DWP Information Directorate, Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study, 100 per cent. Data.
4.Jobseeker's allowance and income support expenditure has been apportioned using DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study, 5 per cent. samples.
5.Income support long-term sick and disabled expenditure is income support paid to claimants who receive a disability premium.
6.Income support short-term sick expenditure is income support paid to claimants who have been sick for less than 365.
7.Figures relate to working age claimants only.
8.Figures for 2004–05 are estimated outturn.
9.Figures are expressed in millions but rounded to the nearest hundred thousand pounds.
10.Real term figures are in 2005–06 prices.
11.Totals may not sum due to rounding.
12.Expenditure data is consistent with the Budget 2005 Report and the Great Britain historical outturn expenditure figures published in the DWP Expenditure Tables.
13.The DWP Expenditure Tables can be accessed at the following internet address: www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/medium_term.asp.
Source:
DWP Cross-Cutting Strategy and Analysis Directorate and DWP Information Directorate.





 
30 Nov 2005 : Column 607W
 

---