HC Deb 28 November 1966 vol 737 cc25-6
41. Mr. Archer

asked the Minister of Social Security whether she will undertake a specific inquiry into the incidence of financial hardship among various categories of disabled people.

Miss Herbison

I would remind my hon. Friend that the new supplementary benefits scheme which came into operation today makes improved provision for disabled people, among others, who are suffering financial hardship.

Mr. Archer

While recognising the point made by my right hon. Friend, may I ask whether she would accept that there is a very real problem here, namely, the fact that benefits depend not upon need or the nature of the disability but upon the historical accident of how it arose?

Miss Herbison

There is a benefit for war disablement, or industrial disablement; and then there is the ordinary National Insurance sickness benefit, but even this does not apply to the wife who has had no contributions. We are well aware of the whole position.

Mr. Braine

Is the right hon. Lady aware that there is a growing volume of evidence to show that very real hardship is being caused in families where the wife is totally incapacitated and there is no constant attendance allowance, or where she has to go out to work and the earnings rule is applied and she has a totally incapacitated husband? Is there not a case for examining this in the review which is now under way?

Miss Herbison

All of this is being looked at in the review. There are many, many things which have to be looked at, not because the problems arose after October, 1964, but because they were never thoroughly examined by previous Governments. In one breath the Opposition Front Bench is saying that we ought to cut down taxes and yet if I were to do everything asked of me by hon. Members opposite it would mean a very great increase in taxation.