As you know, Chair, the 2015-16 supplementary estimates (C) were tabled on February 19 and the 2016-17 main estimates were tabled before the budget on February 23. I'm going to speak just by way of highlights to the main estimates as they pertain to the department.
The main estimates forecast spending for 2016-17 at approximately $61.5 billion. The estimates do not include charges against the Canada pension plan or employment insurance accounts for program benefits, which are about $44 billion and $20 billion, respectively, or for operating expenditures to administer these programs, which are about $243 million and $1.2 billion, respectively. Admittedly, these are very large numbers, and you get used to that with this department in time.
Of this, $59 billion is allocated to statutory programs. This represents an increase of about $7.3 billion over the previous year. This increase is mainly attributed to a forecasted increase of $2.4 billion for old age security pension and guaranteed income supplement payments. That, in turn, is due to the changes in the average monthly rate and an increase in the number of beneficiaries. This increase also includes an increase of $4.8 billion for the universal child care benefit as a result of the 2015 budget.
Operating costs are forecasted at approximately $600 million, a net increase of about $45 million, mainly due to additional funding to administer the temporary foreign worker program, to implement the old age security service improvement strategy, and to address old age security workload requirements.
Finally, an amount of approximately $1.7 billion is forecasted in grants and contributions.
An important consideration for the committee is that many of the budget 2016 items are not accounted for in the main estimates. These projections will be included in supplementary estimates, which will be tabled in Parliament over the coming months. As I indicated, our chief financial officer is here to help the committee with the financial details, if you wish, and my colleagues can also get into substantive issues.
We will make sure that the implementation of these initiatives will be made according to the new operating principles outlined by the government, including providing sound and politically neutral advice based on solid evidence; putting in place mechanisms to track, monitor and report on impacts and results; working with a wide range of partners in the public and private sectors, stakeholders, not-for-profit organizations, and other levels of government; and being transparent in all our operations.
We have several thousand extremely competent and dedicated employees who are deeply committed and proud to serve the public interest and implement the government's agenda.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.