§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what study his Department is making of the Disablement Income Group's report entitled "Disabled People on Supplementary Benefit"; and when he expects to be able to comment on the findings of the research on which the report was based.
§ Mr. PrenticeAs yet I have only seen the summary report of the Disablement Income Group's researches. When the full report is published, I shall arrange for officials of the Department to study it closely, with particular regard to the effects of the new supplementary benefit regulations on the disabled.
§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many disabled people he expects to lose financially from the nil-cost reform of the supplementary benefit scheme; and what steps he is taking to monitor the effects of the reform on disabled people.
§ Mr. PrenticeSeparate statistics are not kept on the numbers of disabled people receiving supplementary benefit. The effects of the changes which are being introduced later this month will depend on individual circumstances. Disabled supplementary pensioners will lose a small amount (35p or 40p) in real terms, but many of the disabled with children will gain from the fewer number of scale rates for children, and, some of the disabled under pension age, from the reduction in the qualifying period for the long-term rate of supplementary benefit. Moreover, many of the disabled will benefit
426Wand of his Department's expenditure in aid of Motability.
§ Mr. PrenticeThe information is as follows:
from the improvements in the heating additions.
So far as monitoring the effects of the reform on the disabled is concerend, I refer the right hon. Gentleman to my reply to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Heeley (Mr. Hooley) on 12 November.
§ Mr. Heddleasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many disabled people suffering from some form of upper limb paralysis are in receipt of either mobility or attendance allowances.
§ Mr. PrenticeThis information is not available.
§ Mr. Heddleasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the annual cost to his Department of publicising entitlements for attendance and mobility allowances.
§ Mr. PrenticeThe following amounts were spent on national advertising during the phased introduction periods for attendance allowance (1971–74) and mobility allowance (1975–80) respectively:
£ 1971–72 52,000 1972–73 36,000 1973–74 175,000 1975–76 83,000 1976–77 103,000 1977–78 105,000 1978–79 114,000 1979–80 157,000 In addition posters were widely displayed in post offices throughout this period and leaflets were, and continue to be, freely available from local social security offices.
§ Mr. Heddleasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will review 427W the guidelines issued for awarding attendance and mobility allowances to encourage flexibility by his Department in dealing with the claims of those people suffering from some form of upper limb paralysis.
§ Mr. PrenticeClaims for attendance allowance and mobility allowance are decided by the independent adjudicating authorities appointed under the Social Security Acts. My right hon. Friend has no power to issue guidelines to them on the interpretation of the law governing the award of these benefits.
§ Mr. Heddleasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people suffering from some form of upper limb paralysis have been refused claims for either mobility or attendance allowances.
§ Mr. PrenticeThis information is not available.