Unemployment Benefits

Mr. Harper
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 12 January 2009, Official Report, columns 2-4WS, on support for jobseekers, from what budget the funding to be made available to eligible customers will be drawn.

Mr. McNulty
The package of measures announced on 12 January is to be delivered by both the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills and is expected to cost £500 million over the two years to March 2011.

HM Treasury provided DWP with an additional £295 million of funding and the Department will fund the balance of its own expected costs through a package of savings, including consequential programme savings.