Unemployment Benefits Hugh Bayley To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost to the Exchequer has been of unemployment benefits (a) in current prices and (b) as a percentage of gross domestic product in each year since 1997. Jim Knight The information requested is shown in the following table. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |£ million (at 2009-10 prices)| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |Housing benefit |Council tax benefit|Jobseeker’s allowance|Total benefit expenditure|Percentage of GDP| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1997-98 |2,255 |413|5,109|7,777|0.7| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1998-99 |1,820 |348|4,571|6,739|0.6| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1999-2000 |1,581 |315|4,102|5,998|0.5| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2000-01 |1,408 |281|3,585|5,274|0.4| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2001-02 |1,266 |247|3,170|4,684|0.4| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2002-03 |1,270 |236|3,093|4,599|0.4| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2003-04 |1,098 |248|2,933|4,279|0.3| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2004-05 |1,216 |243|2,459|3,918|0.3| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2005-06 |1,271 |264|2,527|4,061|0.3| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2006-07 |1,327 |259|2,596|4,182|0.3| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2007-08 |1,329 |251|2,323|3,903|0.3| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2008-09 (estimated outturn) |1,645 |299|2,909|4,854|0.3| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Note:GDP percentages calculated using HM Treasury Budget Report 2009.Source (benefit expenditure):DWP statistical and accounting data.| ||||| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------