§ Mr. CorbettTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will estimate the total amount paid in supplementary benefit single payments to claimants in the Birmingham, Erdington constituency in each of the past three years.
§ Mr. PortilloTwo of the Department's local offices serve the Birmingham, Erdington constituency, Erdington and Perry Barr, but their boundaries are not conterminous. The information requested is given in the table.
Erdington ILO £ Perry Ban ILO £ 1984–85 765,366 456,760 11985–86 1,138,574 767,483 11986–87 1,276,165 995,884 1 The figures given for 1985–86 and 1986–87 are provisional and subject to amendment. Note: The figures are for the years May to April.
§ Mr. Robin CookTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the latest estimated outturn for expenditure on supplementary benefit in 1987–88.
§ Mr. ScottCurrent estimates provision for expenditure on supplementary benefit stands at £8,255 million. The latest forecasts of outturn will be given in the public expenditure White Paper due to be published in January 1988.
§ Mr. Robin CookTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the estimated numbers of supplementary benefit claimants in 1987–88 and the expected numbers of income support claimants in 1988–89.
§ Mr. ScottThe estimated numbers of supplementary benefit and income support claimants given in the 1987 public expenditure White Paper are as follows:
Million 1987–88 4.93 1988–89 5.00 The estimate for 1988–89 is based on the assumption that there will be no change in the number of people who would have been receiving supplementary benefit if it were not being replaced by income support.
§ Mrs. BeckettTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his answer of 9 November,Official Report, column 99, whether paragraph 1 of circular S 42/85 accurately reflects the Chief Adjudication Officer's 84W current view of the meaning of "adult" in paragraph 18 of schedule 4 to the Supplementary Benefit (Requirements) Regulations 1983.
§ Mr. PortilloYes. The Chief Adjudication Officer's interpretation of the term "adult" is supported by paragraph 10 of reported commissioner's decision R(SB)16/83, a copy of which is in the Library. Although some more recent unreported decisions have followed the interpretation in R(SB) 16/83, some others have indicated that the term "adult" should be interpreted as "aged 18 or over". The Chief Adjudication Officer, therefore, intends to seek an early opportunity to clarify the question before a tribunal of commissioners.
Mr. McAllienTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will list in theOfficial Report the current rates for special needs additions, indicating for each the additional requirements for the claimants which these sums are intended to meet;
(2) if he will list in the Official Report the current normal supplementary benefit rates for different categories of claimants, indicating for each the normal requirements for those claimants which these sums are intended to meet.
§ Mr. PortilloThe information is contained in regulation 4(1) of, and schedules 1 and 4 to, the Supplementary Benefit (Requirements) Regulations 1983 as amended. These are at pages 1690, 1744 and 1753 to 1762 of "The Law relating to Supplementary Benefits and Family Income Supplement", a copy of which is in the Library.