§ Ms. Harmanasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the percentage change in the amount paid out under regulation 9, Supplementary 233W Benefit Regulations to people in private residential care, from (a) 1979 to (b) the latest estimated figures that are available.
§ Mr. LyellInformation is not available in the form requested. Annual supplementary benfit expenditure on residents in private and voluntary residential care homes and nursing homes who are not sponsored by a local authority has increased from £10 million in 1979 to £200 million in 1984, the last year for which information is available.
(Thousands) 1979 1981 1983 No. Per cent. No. Per cent. No. Per cent. Number of supplementary benefit assessment units living in Scotland: In receipt of Supp B or HBS 290 12 300 12 370 14 Not in receipt of Supp B or FIBS with RNR <140 (includes RNR <100) 380 16 510 20 660 25 Of which: not in receipt of Supp B or HBS with RNR <100 110 5 110 5 220 8 Number of persons living in Scotland: In receipt of Supp B or HBS 450 9 480 9 610 13 Not in receipt of Supp B or FIBS with RNR <140 (includes RNR < 100) 620 13 1,030 20 1,080 23 Of which: not in receipt of Supp B or HBS with RNR <100 170 4 160 3 300 6 Notes:
(i) The Scottish samples have been translated into population estimates using factors based on data for Great Britain as a whole. Since the Family Expenditure Survey response rate may differ from that for Great Britain as a whole and since the extent of the difference may vary from one year to another, it follows that Scottish estimates may be more vulnerable to grossing error than data for Great Britain as a whole. Taken together, these two sources of statistical error make both trends and levels in the Scottish estimates peculiarly difficult to interpret. These statistical problems will be considered as a part of the Low Income Technical Review.
(ii) The assumptions on which these estimates are based are the same as those contained in the "Low Income Families—1983" tables lodged in the Library of the House.
(iii) RNR = Relative net resources. For a full definition of this term see paragraphs 4 and 5 of "Low Income Families—1983".
(iv) HBS = housing benefit supplement.
(v) A supplementary benefit assessment unit is usually either a single person or a couple with their dependent children if they have any. Dependent children are those aged less than 16 or 19 if still in full-time non-advanced education.
(vi) "Other" is composed of single-parents, full-time students, full-time workers away from work on part or no pay, those of non-pension age not working and not seeking work and the sick and disabled.
(vii) Classifications by employment status and assessment type are mutually exclusive and non-additive.
(viii) "*" denotes a figure of less than 10,000.
§ Mr. Clayasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people were living in families below supplementary benefit level, on supplementary benefit, with incomes up to 140 per cent. of supplementary benefit, classified by both employment status and family type in 1983 on the latest basis and on a basis comparable with 1981 and 1979; and, in each case, what proportion of the total population in each category they represent.