HC Deb 21 November 1974 vol 881 cc1638-9

Queen's Recommendation having been signified—

Resolved, That, for the purposes of any Act of the present Session to make further provision with respect to basic scheme benefits and benefits in respect of industrial injuries and diseases; to increase family allowances; and to amend Parts I and III of Schedule 2 to the Supplementary Benefit Act 1966, it is expedient to authorise—

(1) the payment out of moneys provided by Parliament, at weekly rates of £6.90 (together with increases for child or adult dependants), of new basic scheme benefits as follows:—

  1. (a) a pension for persons who are incapable of work and have been so incapable for not less than 196 days; and
  2. (b) an allowance for persons engaged in caring for persons in respect of whom there is payable either an attendance allowance or such other payment out of public funds on account of their need for attendance as may be prescribed,
with, in each case, a relaxation of the conditions of entitlement for men over 70 and women over 65 and a provision excluding a woman from entitlement if—
  1. (i) she is married and either she is residing with her husband or he is contributing to her maintenance at a weekly rate not less than the weekly rate of the new benefit, or
  2. (ii) she is cohabiting with a man as his wife;

(2) any increase in the sums payable out of moneys provided by Parliament under any other Act, being an increase attributable to—

  1. (a) raising—
    1. (i) to £9.20 and £6.20 the weekly rates of attendance allowance;
    2. (ii) to £4.30 and £6.90 the weekly rates of Category C or D retirement pensions
      3. 1639
    3. (iii) the weekly rates of increases of Category C retirement pensions for child or adult dependants;
  2. (b) new provisions for increasing the rates or amounts of basic scheme benefits by order;
  3. (c) increasing the weekly rates of allowances under the Family Allowances Act 1965 payable in respect of each child in a family other than the only, elder or eldest to £1.50;
  4. (d) increasing (except as respects occupational pensions and redundancy payments) the weekly amount of income to be disregarded in calculating a person's resources for the purposes of benefit under the Supplementary Benefit Act 1966 or provisions amending paragraphs 2, 21, 22 or 23 of Schedule 2 to that Act;

(3) subject to the provision made by subsection (4) of section 46 of the Social Security Act 1973 for reimbursement out of the National Insurance Fund, the payment out of moneys provided by Parliament of any increase attributable to the said Act of the present Session in the administrative expenses which are so payable under subsection (2) of that section;

(4) payments into the Consolidated Fund.—[Mr. Dormand.]