HC Deb 11 April 1978 vol 947 cc1162-4
5. Sir George Young

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether it is his policy to increase dependence upon means-tested benefits.

Mr. Orme

No, Sir. Our aim is to reduce dependence on means-tested benefits and measures that we have introduced, such as the child benefit and new pensions schemes, are steps in this direction. Meanwhile, means-tested benefits are giving essential protection to poorer people.

Sir G. Young

If it is the Government's policy to reduce dependence on means-tested benefits, why are there now three times as many people on rate rebates as there were in 1973?

Mr. Orme

The answer to that is that the Government have made the public aware of these benefits and have encouraged people to claim them.

Mr. Heffer

In view of the fact that many thousands of people are entitled to benefits but are not taking them up, and are therefore suffering unnecessarily as a result, does my right hon. Friend agree that it would be a good idea if the form of market concept that has been developed in his own area—a shop to which people could go to find out what benefits they were entitled to—should be developed, particularly in areas where there are too many people, unfortunately, who have to depend upon the type of benefits available?

Mr. Orme

I agree with my hon. Friend. As he will see from the annual report of the Supplementary Benefits Commission, Professor Donnison and the Commission estimate that between £250 million and £300 million in legitimate benefits are not claimed by people who could claim them. I am also very much aware that voluntary organisations throughout the country do a great deal of work to draw to people's attention their rights to benefits. In the summer the Supplementary Benefits Commission will launch a campaign on this issue.

Mr. Wigley

Is the Secretary of State aware of the disappointment and dismay amongst many beneficiaries of social security and other benefits, including single-parent families, who looked forward to the child benefit only to find that it was taken away from the other benefits that they received? Does he realise that this group of people are the people who most need the increase in child benefit, and cannot he get it changed, to look after them?

Mr. Orme

This is a problem of overlapping benefits and the difficulty of paying the same benefit twice to the same people. As we phase in child benefit and increase child benefit, this will become less obvious.