§ Sir George Youngasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how much money his Department deducts each year from payments of family allowance because the child is an in-patient in a hospital or similar institution;
(2) how much money his Department deducts each year from supplementary benefit because the beneficiary or a member of his family is an in-patient in a hospital or similar institution;
(3) how much money his Department deducts each year from payments of retirement pensions because the beneficiary is an in-patient in a hospital or similar institution.
§ Mr. OrmeThere is no provision for deductions from family allowances when a child is an in-patient. Such absences from a parent are disregarded. Child benefit, replacing family allowances from April, will run on unconditionally for a child going from home to hospital for up to 20 weeks and continue thereafter so long as the parent regularly incurs some expenditure in respect of the child.
As to supplementary benefits, I regret that the information requested is not available.
Reductions in retirement pension of those in hospital would amount to about £46 million in a full year at November 1976 benefit rates.