§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the cost of income support payments to residents in care or nursing homes with preserved entitlement during(a) the current financial year, (b) 1994–95 and (c) 1996–97; and if he will give his estimate of the total number of likely claimants for each year.
§ Mr. BurtThe latest estimates are:
Year Expenditure £ million Numbers (a) 1993–94 2,330 246,000 (b) 1994–95 1,830 186,000 (c) 1996–97 1,150 112,000 These estimates are based on assumed rates of decline and become progressively less reliable.
§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claimants were in receipt of income support payments towards the cost of(a) residential care, 126W (b) higher rate residental care and (c) nursing homes for each year since 1990; and if he will give the annual total for each category.
§ Mr. BurtThe available information is as follows:
Numbers of income support claimants Residential care homes Nursing homes 1990 127,000 66,000 1991 139,000 94,000 1992 152,000 116,000 1993 159,000 123,000 Source:
The Income Support Annual Statistical Enquiries May 1990, May 1991 and May 1992.
The Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiry February 1993.
Note: Figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand.