Benefits

House of Lords written question – answered at on 14 December 2010.

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Photo of Lord Laird Lord Laird UUP

To ask Her Majesty's Government what amount has been transferred to Northern Ireland in each of the past five years to pay for social security, child support, pensions and housing benefit; and what amount is expended annually per head in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland on (a) overall social security, (b) housing benefit, and (c) both.

Photo of Lord Freud Lord Freud The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

Information requested for England, Wales and Scotland is shown in the following tables.

England, Expenditure Per Capita, £ 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10
Benefit Expenditure excluding HB 1,649 1,677 1,762 1,859 1,992
HB Expenditure 240 255 270 291 340
Benefit Expenditure including HB 1,889 1,932 2,032 2,150 2,332
Wales, Expenditure Per Capita, £ 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10
Benefit Expenditure excluding HB 2,032 2,067 2,168 2,277 2,424
HB Expenditure 198 207 220 238 277
Benefit Expenditure including HB 2,230 2,274 2,388 2,515 2,701
Scotland, Expenditure Per Capita, £ Nominal Terms 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10
Benefit Expenditure excluding HB 1,869 1,896 1,982 2,071 2,199
HB Expenditure 238 246 252 269 300
Benefit Expenditure including HB 2,108 2,142 2,234 2,341 2,498

Source: DWP Accounting and Statistical Data and ONS population estimates and projections.

Notes:

All figures are in nominal terms.

Figures may not sum exactly due to rounding.

Expenditure data include the following benefits, which account for approximately 98 per cent of all DWP benefit expenditure:

attendance allowance, bereavement benefits, widows benefit, carers allowance, council tax benefit, disability living allowance, housing benefit, incapacity benefit, severe disability allowance, income support, jobseeker's allowance, pension credit, state pension, winter fuel payments, statutory maternity pay, maternity allowance, TV licences for the over 75s and industrial injuries benefits.

Tables containing benefit expenditure by benefit, local authority and parliamentary constituency can be found at the following URL: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/index.php?page=expenditure.

Comparable data for Northern Ireland, obtained from the Northern Ireland Social Security Agency, is shown in the table below.

Northern Ireland, Expenditure Per Capita, £ 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10
Benefit Expenditure excluding HB 1,974 2,038 2,105 2,199 2,330
HB Expenditure 194 202 208 225 254
Benefit Expenditure including HB 2,168 2,240 2,313 2,424 2,584

Northern Ireland expenditure data include the following benefits:

attendance allowance, widows benefit, carers allowance, disability living allowance, housing benefits, rate rebates, incapacity benefit, severe disability allowance, income support, jobseeker's allowance, pension credit, state pension, winter fuel payments, statutory maternity pay, maternity allowance and industrial injuries benefits.

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No5 people think not

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