§ Mr. Fidlerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will indicate the total amount now available from the Supplementary Benefits Commission for those with special needs for extra heating, including the extra £3½ million recently allocated; to whom these discretionary amounts are available and the total weekly amounts which can be claimed by them; and what is the procedure which they should adopt to receive them.
§ Mr. DeanIt is estimated that the total cost of special heating additions will be £5 million in a full year. The additions are available to all recipients of supplementary benefit who have special needs for extra heating because they are in poor health or bad accommodation; where a person is in receipt of the long-term206W addition of 10s. per week, he is eligible for the addition to the extent that his special needs, taken together, exceed the level of 10s. There are three rates of 5s., 10s. and 15s. per week, depending upon the seriousness of the case; they are allowed on top of the scale-rate which is intended to cover the normal cost of heating. The procedure is one of conversion from the old rates to the new, and will be carried out by the local offices of the Supplementary Benefits Commission in a programme which is already under way; those at present on the old rates do not need to put in a fresh claim.