Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference paragraph 5.38 on page 78 of the Budget 2018 Red Book, what estimate she has made of the effect on the public purse of the delay until April 2020 of the reduction of the level of earnings to be disregarded under the surplus earnings rule from £2,500 to £300.

The estimated government spend on the planned reduction of the surplus earnings de minimis from £2500 to £300 in April 2019 to April 2020 is provided in the table below:

Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest £5 million. A negative value indicates spend.