HC Deb 07 November 1995 vol 265 cc834-5W
Mr. Patrick Thompson

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list those councils in Norfolk which allow war pensioners and war widows to keep all their war pension even if they are receiving benefits and those which do not. [40114]

Mr. Heald

The following local authorities in Norfolk have advised me that they operate local schemes which disregard war pensions in full when calculating entitlement to housing benefit and council tax benefit: North Norfolk, King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Breckland and Broadland.

Great Yarmouth, South Norfolk and Norwich city have advised that they do not operate such a local scheme.

Mr. Jim Cunningham

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much, on average, war pensions have changed in real value since the new guidelines for determining housing and council tax benefit were introduced. [41605]

Mr. Heald

Since the introduction of the revised housing benefit scheme in April 1988, the basic weekly rate of war disablement pension payable in respect of a 100 per cent. disabled private soldier, and equivalent, has increased from £67.20 to £101.10. If increased only in line with the retail prices index, the estimated current rate would be £95.30 per week.

The basic weekly rate of war widow's pension payable to the widow of a private soldier, and equivalent, has increased from £67.20 to £76.35. Increases in line with RPI alone would have produced an estimated current rate of £75.85 a week.

In addition, since April 1990, most war widows have received a fully upratable supplementary pension—originally £40 a week, currently £49.77—which is totally disregarded for housing benefit and council tax benefit purposes.