§ Mr. BettsTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many local authorities give a full disregard to war pensions in the calculation of housing and poll tax benefits; and how many authorities take part of the pension into account as income in those calculations.
§ Mr. BurtIn the financial year 1990–91, 374 of the 479 local authorities reported that they exercised their discretionary power to disregard more than the statutory £10 of a war pension. Of these
289 authorities disregard both war widows' and war disablement pensions in full, of which five authorities responsible for both benefits operated a scheme for housing benefit only and two operated a scheme for community charge benefit only;Five authorities fully disregarded war widows' pensions, of which three also disregarded war disablement pensions in part;28 authorities fully disregarded war disablement pensions, of which six also disregarded war widows' pensions in part.The remaining 52 authorities took some part of a war widow's or war disablement pension into account as income.
§ Mr. Michael BrownTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the latest position regarding discussions to simplify the war pensions scheme.
§ Mr. LilleyMy noble Friend Lord Henley, the Minister with special responsibility for war pensions, is writing to members of the Central Advisory Committee on War Pensions advising that we shall be introducing next April a number of changes which will help to simplify the scheme.