§ Mr. Gordon Brownasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what is the combined rate of income support and personal allowance under his Green Paper proposals that would be required in 1985–86 to compensate a single pensioner who lost (a) heating addition, (b) clothing and dietary addition and (c) the average single payment, assuming additional resources to cover 20 per cent. of rates bills;
(2) what is the combined rate of income support and personal allowance that would be required in 1985–86 to compensate an unemployed person who loses (a) heating addition, (b) clothing and dietary addition and (c) the average single payment, assuming additional resources to cover 20 per cent. of rates bills;
(3) what is the combined rate of income support personal allowance and family premium that would be required in 1985–86 to compensate (a) a single parent and (b) a married couple who loses (i) heating addition, (ii) clothing and dietary addition and (iii) the average single payment, assuming additional resources to cover 20 per cent. of rates bills.
§ Mr. Newton[pursuant to his reply, 7 June 1985, c. 290–91]: The information is not available in the form 183W requested. However, so far as the current supplementary benefit scheme is concerned and on the basis of the assumptions set out, present possible entitlements of each of these types of claimants are as follows:
£ Pensioners (single householder) 40.82 Unemployed (single householder) 34.17 (married couple) 51.67 Lone Parent (single householder) —on ordinary scale rate 34.17 —on long term scale rate 40.82 The assumptions are:
- —that 1984 scale rates are in payment.
- —that where the additional requirements are standard, the lower rate is in payment.
- —that where the additional requirement is not standard the average amount based on the latest available data (for December 1983) is in payment.
- —account is taken of the available scale margin where relevant.
No account is taken of single payments since they do not form part of weekly requirements.