SUPPLEMENTARY BENEFIT (DETERMINATION OF REQUIRE-MENTS) REGULATIONS 1975. (Hansard, 13 March 1975)

§ Lord WELLS-PESTELL

My Lords, I beg to move that the Supplementary Benefit (Determination of Requirements) Regulations 1975, be approved. The purpose of the Regulations is to provide for increases in the supplementary benefit scale rates laid down by the Supplementary Benefit Act 1966. As your Lord-ships will know, the scale rates cover all normal requirements and, together with an allowance for rent, determine the levels to which the income of retired people and others not in full-time work can be made up by means of supplementary benefit. The increases proposed by the Regulations broadly match those for National 485 Insurance benefits contained in the Social Security Benefits Bill, and will ensure that those pensioners most in need will get the full benefit of the increases in retirement pensions dealt with in that Bill. All the supplementary benefit increases will come into operation in the week beginning 7th April; that is, at the same time as the increases in National Insurance pensions and benefits.

My Lords, the new levels of the supplementary benefit scale rates are laid down by Regulation 2. It is proposed that the long-term scale rates, which are payable to supplementary pensioners and to people, other than the unemployed, who have received a supplementary allowance continuously for two years, shall be increased by £1.60 for a single householder and by £2.50 for a married couple. These represent increases of between 15 and 16 per cent. and will raise the present levels of the scale rates to £12 for a single householder and £18.85 for a married couple. Where a supplementary pensioner or his wife is over 80, the rates are 25p higher at each point. The ordinary scale rates, which apply to the unemployed and to other people who have received a supplementary allowance for less than two years, are to be increased by between 14 and 15 per cent. The scale rate for a single householder will go up by £1.20 to £9.60, and the rate for a married couple will go up by £2 a week to £15.65. The scale rates for other adults, for young people, and for children are also to be increased.

A person who lives as a member of another's household receives a standard weekly addition for rent and it is proposed that this shall be raised by 5p to 95p a week. This increase reflects the movement in housing costs since the present addition was fixed in July last year. When account is taken of the scale rate increases, the overall effect is that the income of adult non-householders will rise by £1.30 per week for supplementary pensioners and other long-term recipients, and by £1 for other non-householders. The cost of the various proposals I have outlined will be about £61 million in a full year.

My Lords, these proposals are complementary to those for increases in National Insurance benefits and pensions made in the Social Security Benefits Bill. They are an essential part of the general uprating of benefits in April. The 486 position of those who rely on supplementary benefits is to be protected. Overall, the supplementary benefit increases will help some 2¾ million people and their dependants, including about 1.8 million pensioner claimants, and many thousands of the sick, the disabled, widows and the unemployed. I am sure your Lordships will approve the purpose of these Draft Regulations. I have deliberately dealt with these proposals shortly, and I hope that your Lordships will approve them. I beg to move.