HL Deb 18 March 1998 vol 587 cc207-8WA
Lord Morris of Manchester

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What would be the value today of attendance, invalid care allowance, severe disablement allowance, mobility allowance and the care component of disability living allowance, if the link with prices and earnings created by the Social Security Act 1975 had not been broken by the Social Security Act 1980.[HL735]

Baroness Hollis of Heigham

The information requested is set out in the table. However, only attendance allowance was linked with prices and earnings by the Social Security Act 1975 and disability living allowance was introduced in 1992.

Information about the value of the benefits shown as if the link with prices and earnings had been in place for each benefit
£ per week
Benefit Actual April 1997 Rate April 1997 Rate if Earnings Link
Attendance allowance:
Higher rate 49.50 68.55
Lower rate 33.10 45.80

Information about the value of the benefits shown as if the link with prices and earnings had been in place for each benefit
£ per week
Benefit Actual April 1997 Rate April 1997 Rate if Earnings Link
Invalid care allowance 37.35 51.85
Severe disablement allowance 37.75 52.20
Mobility allowance 3 44.20
Disability living allowance4
Mobility component
Higher rate 34.60 36.85
Lower rate 13.15 14.00
Disability living allowance4
Care component:
Higher rate 49.50 52.60
Middle rate 33.10 35.15
Lower rate 13.15 14.00
Notes:
1 The Retail Price Index (All Items) and the Average Earnings Index (Whole Economy) as produced by the Office of National Statistics was used in these calculations.
2 VAT on fuel was added in April 1994 at the rate of 50p for a single person on Severe Disablement Allowance and 20p for a single person on Invalid Care Allowance.
3 Mobility allowance was abolished and replaced by DLA higher rate mobility component in 1992.
4 The values for Disability Living Allowance are based on the actual starting values of DLA in 1992.