§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his estimate of the savings in 1980–81, and in a full year at current rates, on invalidity allowance as a result of his decision to reduce the linking period for invalidity benefit from 13 weeks to six weeks; what is his estimate of the number of invalidity pensions each year who will lose entitlement to invalidity allowance or have the
1978 (September) (1) Per cent. 1979 (July) (1) Per cent. Third-year Student Nurse 58 58 Staff Nurse (First-year) 71 71 Ward Sister (Scale maximum) 111 109 Tutor (Scale maximum) 120 115 Senior Tutor (Scale maximum) 129 124 Notes:
(1) The National Health Service pay survey for 1978 was undertaken in September. The average industrial worker's pay for September has, therefore, been used to calculate the foregoing percentage for 1978. Similarly, for 1979, the figures relate to July.
(2) The foregoing estimates have been devised by dividing the gross weekly pay rates contained in my reply of 2 April 1980 by estimates of average earnings for male and female manual and non-manual employees aged 18 years and over working in manufacturing industries.
(3) The award of the Standing Commission on Pay Comparability has been implemented since the 1979 pay survey was undertaken.
546Wrate of invalidity allowance reduced; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. PrenticeIt is not possible to make precise estimates of the effect on invalidity allowance of the proposed reduction in the linking period from 13 to six weeks, but the annual saving is expected, eventually, to be in the range of £5 to £10 million, at current benefit rates, with a saving in 1980–81 of well under £5 million. The average number of beneficiaries whose entitlement to invalidity allowance would be affected by this change in the linking rules might be 25,000 to 50,000.