§ Mr. Thomas Coxasked the Secretary of State for Social Services when the death grant benefit was last increased.
§ Mr. PrenticeIn October 1967, when the standard rate of death grant was increased to £30.
§ Mr. Thomas Coxasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, what the rate of payment of the death grant has been since it was first introduced.
§ Mr. PrenticeThe death grant was introduced in July 1949 at the standard rate of £20. It was increased to £25 in January 1958 and to £30, the current level, in October 1967.
§ Mr. Thomas Coxasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the present value of the death grant compared to that at the date it was first introduced.
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§ Mr. PrenticeThe death grant was introduced in July 1949 at the standard rate of £20. Based on the movement of the general index of retail prices between July 1949 and September 1980, the latest month for which figures are available, the present £30 death grant is worth £3.60 in July 1949 terms.
§ Mr. Thomas Coxasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many men and women who have died in each of the last five years have not qualified for the death grant because of age.
§ Mr. PrenticeI regret that this information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. Ernie Rossasked the Secretary of State for Social Services when the value of the death grant was last increased; by how much it would need to be increased to bring it into line with current prices; and if he will consider increasing the death grant by that amount.
§ Mr. PrenticeThe standard rate of death grant was increased from £25 to its present level of £30 in October 1967. Based on the movement of the general index of retail prices up to September 1980, the latest month for which figures are available, the £30 grant would need to be increased by £99.88 to restore the value it had in October 1967. My ministerial colleagues and I are actively considering the whole question of the grant and we shall make a statement as soon as we are in a position to do so.
§ Mr. Craigenasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what consideration his Department has given to the cost of funerals; and if he expects to make any consequential announcement on an uprating of the death grant.
§ Mr. PrenticeThe Department keeps in touch with trends in funeral costs. With regard to an announcement on the national insurance death grant, I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Dundee, West (Mr. Ross) today.