HC Deb 12 March 1990 vol 169 cc66-7W
Mr. Hannam

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether his Department has commissioned any research about the care needs and care costs of disabled people aged over 65 years.

Mr. Scott

The Government commissioned the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys (OPCS) to carry out major surveys of disability in Great Britain between 1985 and 1988. Two of these covered disabled adults in private households and communal establishments, and they provide information about the extra costs of home services for people aged over 65 and the extra costs incurred by those with personal care disabilities. The six OPCS reports of the surveys' findings are in the Library. A follow-up study to the surveys in the family expenditure survey has been carried out to compare the actual spending of disabled and non-disabled people, and the results of that study will be published in the next few months. A number of studies of the care needs of people in residential care and nursing homes have been carried out by the social policy research unit at York university. The findings are published in "Public Support for Private Residential Care", a copy of which is in the Library.

  1. 1. Volumes 1–6 of the "OPCS Surveys of Disability in Great Britain". London HMSO 1989—in particular volumes 2 and 4.
  2. 2. Bradshaw J. R. and Gibbs I. "Public Support for Private Residential Care". Avebury Gower 1988.

Mr. Battle

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will provide a table showing a regional breakdown of the numbers of people claiming disability benefits as a percentage of all claimants and as a percentage of the general population.

Mr. Scott

Attendance allowance, invalid care allowance and mobility allowance are administered centrally, and a regional breakdown of claimants is not available. The regional breakdown for severe disablement allowance, as at April 1988, is in the table:

Region Number of claimants Percentage of all claimants Percentage of general population
North 18,200 7 0.59
Yorkshire and Humberside 25,200 10 0.51
East Midlands 17,100 6 0.43
East Anglia 7,500 3 0.37
South East 63,600 24 0.37
South West 21,900 8 0.47
West Midlands 20,600 8 0.40
North West 37,000 14 0.58
Scotland 32,400 12 0.64
Wales 19,800 8 0.69

Mr. Battle

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Battersea (Mr. Bowis),Official Report, 26 February, column 59, if he will provide a breakdown at 1990 prices of (a) the weekly benefit entitlement when not working of a single disabled person and (b) the net weekly income of a single disabled person with earnings of (i) £5, (ii) £10, (iii) £15, (iv) £20, (v) £30, (vi) £40 and (vii) £50 after housing costs, on the assumption of the introduction of the disability employment credit, planned for introduction in April 1992.

Mr. Scott

The detailed arrangements for the disability employment credit are under consideration. No decision has yet been taken on the thresholds for entitlement to the benefit.

Mr. Pendry

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the numbers of(a) single people receiving the severe disability premium as at 11 April 1988, 10 April 1989 and 9 October 1989 and (b) members of a couple receiving the severe disability premium as at 11 April 1988, 10 April 1989, and 9 October 1989.

Mrs. Gillian Shephard

The information is not available in the form requested. However, the latest annual statistical inquiry shows that, at May 1988, 28,184 income support claims included the lower rate of the severe disability premium, paid to single people and to couples of whom one member qualifies for the premium, and 6,585 income support claims included the higher rate of this premium, paid where both members of a couple qualify.

Mr. Ashley

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether the proposed disability employment credit will be available to those disabled people who are able to work but have savings in excess of £6,000.

Mr. Hannam

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if the proposed disability employment credit will provide employment opportunities for those disabled people who are capable of working but are not able to work more than 24 hours per week.

Mr. Scott

The detailed arrangements for the disability employment credit are under consideration. No decisions have yet been taken on an hours limit or capital rule for the benefit.