§ 10. Mr. John Wellsasked the Minister of Social Security what estimate she has of the number of persons in Great Britain 11 who are either physically or mentally handicapped, but can receive no benefit from the State insurance schemes.
§ Mrs. HartI cannot make an estimate at present, but I hope that the survey announced by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Health will give a good deal of useful information.
§ Mr. WellsCan the right hon. Lady not take some active steps to bring these people within the scope of the regular pension scheme or the regular protective system, so that they are not forced to obtain supplementary benefit, sometimes in circumstances of very great hardship?
§ Mrs. HartThe real problem here is the person who cannot even be covered by supplementary benefits—the disabled housewife, for example. I have said in the House that I am very much aware of this problem. The difficulty is that until we have some indication of the numbers it is not possible to go much further in working out precisely what we should do. Members of the Disablement Income Group with whom I have discussed this question are aware of the difficulty. I am concerned to move ahead as rapidly as possible.
§ 19. Mr. Montgomeryasked the Minister of Social Security what estimate she has made of the number of low-wage-earning families with incomes below the supplementary benefit level where the male wage earner is either physically or mentally handicapped.
§ 46. Mr. Worsleyasked the Minister of Social Security what analysis she has made of the causes, including physical disability, of low-wage-earning of parents of children who fall below the supplementary benefit level.
§ Mrs. HartSuch information as is at present available is contained in Chapter IV of the "Circumstances of Families" Report published in July last year. About 14 per cent. of the fathers of families with incomes below the basic National Assistance level considered that ill-health limited their earning capacity, compared with 4 per cent. of all fathers covered by the inquiry. But these were subjective judgments.
§ Mr. MontgomeryWould the right hon. Lady consider extending the allowance under the Industrial Injuries Scheme 12 to those who are disabled from other causes? Does she realise that this would be of enormous help to these small-wage-earning families where the male breadwinner is either physically or mentally handicapped?
§ Mrs. HartI appreciate the hon. Gentleman's sympathies with this group. I do not think that the solution he is proposing would be likely to be the right one. It is a matter on which we need a good deal more information, and it is very much in mind as one of our priorities for further research.
§ Mr. WorsleyHas the right hon. Lady positive plans for carrying out this research or does the limitation of research workers about which she has told us in the past preclude this?
§ Mrs. HartI am sure that the hon. Gentleman will have been delighted to have observed from the weekend Press that I have now appointed an economic adviser who will have a supporting staff. I am hopeful that we shall be able to carry out rather more research which will be of great use in future.
§ Mr. PavittIn cases where ill health is the factor creating the problem, can my right hon. Friend say that these people will be exempt from prescription charges?
§ Mrs. HartWhere there is a wage earner whose level of income is below the supplementary benefit level, then this is one of the categories of hardship to which, as I have said earlier, I am studying the possibility of extending the exemption procedure rather than the refund procedure. At the very least, such a person will be entitled to a refund.