HC Deb 23 April 1996 vol 276 cc131-2W
15. Mr. Riddick

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps he intends to take to assist people to make additional provision for their own long-term care in their old age. [24683]

Mr. Heald

To help people retain more of their savings when they enter long-term care, we have more than trebled the lower capital limit and doubled the upper capital limit for those in residential care; and for those who are covered by the preserved rights provisions, we have also introduced a 50 per cent. disregard on income from their occupational pension if they have a spouse who remains at home.

We have already taken steps to give personal pension holders more flexibility in the use of their pension savings during retirement, and are committed to building on that foundation by giving members of occupational pension schemes extra choices.