§ Mr. McGradyTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will ensure that invalid care allowance will be paid at the same level as other long-term income maintenance benefits.
§ Mr. ScottWe have no plans to do so at present. Unlike most other income maintenance benefits, invalid care allowance is subject to neither contribution conditions nor a means test. The cost of increasing it to the level of basic retirement pension or invalidity benefit, for example, would be £126 million and would need to be considered in the context of other demands on available resources.