Disability

HC Deb 29 June 1989 vol 155 cc541-2W

Mr. Barry Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the number of people in Wales receiving (i) attendance allowance, (ii) industrial disablement benefit, (iii) mobility allowance, (iv) invalid care allowance, (v) invalidity benefit and (vi) severe disablement benefit for the latest available date.

Mr. Scott

I regret that some of the information requested is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The information which is available is as follows:

• Recipients of invalidity benefit in Wales at 2 April 1988 —126,900 (statistical estimate).
• Recipients of severe disablement allowance in Wales at 31 May 1981—17,948.

Mr. Alfred Morris

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if, pursuant to his reply to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe of 19 June,Official Report, column 21, about the representations that the Minister for the Disabled has had from the British Council of Organisations of Disabled People, he will publish his reply to the chairman in the Official Report.

Mr. Scott

I have placed a copy of my reply in the Library.

Mr. Hannam

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when the fifth report by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys on disability in Great Britain will be published.

Mr. Scott

The Office of Population Censuses and Surveys (OPCS) has today published the fifth report on the findings of the surveys of disability in Great Britain carried out between 1985 and 1988. The report covers the financial circumstances of families with disabled children living in private households.

The report contains detailed information about the effect of a child's disability on a family's income and expenditure. It does not however take account of the financial value of services received by families with a disabled child. The final report in the series, which will be published next month, will provide information about the use of services, transport and education by disabled children.

The report's findings relate to 1985 when the data was collected. Since then the social security reforms and this year's uprating have targeted increased help on families. More than 10,000 families with disabled children now receive specific help through the disabled child's premium as well as the family premium which is paid to all families receiving income support and housing benefit. This year's uprating targeted further help on families by adding an extra 50p to child allowances in income support, family credit and housing benefit.

We welcome comments on this report, as we have on the four reports already published.