§ Mrs. Margaret EwingTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the total cost to the Exchequer of extending mobility allowance at(a) current levels of payment and (b) proposed updated levels of payment to people aged over 75 years of age.
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§ Mr. ScottMobility allowance must be claimed before age 66 and in respect of disability arising before age 65. Section 8 of the Social Security Act 1989 has already provided for existing recipients of the allowance who reach age 75 to continue to receive it to age 80. The annual cost of this will rise to £8 million in 1991–92. The cost of complete abolition of all age limits would be nearly £1.5 billion a year at current rates and nearly £1.6 billion at the proposed new rates.