---

Dept for Work and Pensions

Answer

Mr. Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assumptions have been made in the Government's medium-term forecasts in his Department's benefit expenditure tables with regard to the number of invalidity benefit claimants returning to work through the (a) the new deal for disabled people and (b) pathways to work in relation to (i) the number of recipients of invalidity benefit, severe disablement allowance and income support and (ii) expenditure from 2003-04 to 2007-08 on invalidity benefit, severe disablement allowance and income support for sick and disabled people. [223381] Maria Eagle :[holding answer 22 March 2005]: Future impacts of the new deal for disabled people and the pathways to work pilots are implicitly included in the forecasts of incapacity benefit (which replaced invalidity benefit in 1995), severe disablement allowance and income support recipients and expenditure included in the Department's benefit expenditure tables, which were published at the pre-Budget report. It is assumed that the impact of these policies, as far as they have affected the past flows on and off of benefit, will continue largely as observed in the past. As it is difficult to isolate the past impact of these policies separately from other factors which might have affected flows on and off of benefit, it is not possible to make explicit assumptions about their specific impact on the forecasts. The further roll-out of pathways to work in the future is not factored into the forecasts as it will not have affected recent trends. Revised expenditure forecasts, underpinning the Budget report, will be published during April.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

432 c1691W;432 c1686-7W; 223381

Session

2004-05

Subjects

Disability Income support Expenditure Employment schemes Incapacity benefit Recipients Social security benefits Pathways to work programme Severe disablement allowance New deal for disabled people

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk