Ms Colette Bennett:

Reference was also made to the idea that this increase may add to inflation. With people who are on very low incomes or fixed social welfare incomes, one of two things is happening. They will be either already spending this money because they borrowed it through moneylenders - in the absence of Provident from the market, people are taking out high cost loans or using illegal moneylenders - or they are going without. If they are going without, we will see more money being spent on health services, social services, mental health and child-related services. We will see that money spent elsewhere.