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Social Security

I will certainly take that point back to the Department. In the July 2008 welfare reform Green Paper, we proposed that incapacity benefit customers with an age addition would have their benefit frozen until the rates were aligned with contributory employment and support allowance. However, following consultation, my right hon. Friend the Minister for Employment and Welfare Reform announced in December that incapacity benefit customers with an age addition would see their overall benefit increase by at least half of Rossi—3.15 per cent. That means that they will not receive less than £95.15 a week, which is the same amount of incapacity benefit as someone in the support group getting contributory employment and support allowance. The cost of uprating benefits from April 2009 is nearly £6.2 billion, with almost two thirds going to pensioners. We are not taking a do nothing approach: we recognise that it is absolutely right to protect the most vulnerable in society, particularly during times of economic hardship. The cost of doing nothing would be enormous, and we are better positioned to help people during the recession than previous Governments were. On top of our active efforts to increase benefit take-up, the money that I have announced today represents real help and action now when it matters most. I commend these orders to the House.