HC Deb 20 January 1986 vol 90 cc60-1W
Mr. Alfred Morris

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services at what level of earnings a man with a wife and two children who qualified for a disablement premium under income support would receive an equivalent net income from earnings and family credit; and what the figure would be if the disablement premium was included in the threshold adopted for family credit.

Mr. Newton

Assuming that no benefit on account of disablement was payable when the man or wife was in work, or if it was payable that it was disregarded in the family credit calculation (as would be the case with attendance allowance or mobility allowance), then on the basis of the illustrative amounts in para 2.4 of the technical annex to the White Paper "Reform of Social Security" (Cmnd. 9691) the level of earnings would be £36.95 net, or £38.90 gross. Since, in the illustrative figures, this amount would be below the family credit threshold, and maximum family credit would therefore be payable, it would not be affected by adding a disablement premium to the threshold.

If any other benefit was payable which had to be taken into account in the family credit calculation then the level of earnings would vary depending on the amount of that benefit.

Mr. Alfred Morris

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his latest estimate of the number of disabled people aged 16 to 59 years who are not incapable of work but who are in receipt of the long-term rate of supplementary benefit; and how many of these would qualify for the proposed disablement premium.

Mr. Newton

I regret that the claimants likely to fall within the category described are not identified separately within existing statistical records and an estimate could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Those in this category who are blind will be passported on to the disablement premium through that route.

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