§ Sir David SteelTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make it his policy to end the classification of taxed inheritance as capital in assessing income support entitlement. [17746]
§ Mr. Roger EvansThere are no plans to do so.
§ Sir David SteelTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will amend the rules for the disqualification of income support entitlement for families from a capital sum for each partner to an aggregate sum for both partners. [17747]
§ Mr. EvansThe income support rules already provide that the capital resources of partners are aggregated when assessing entitlement to benefit. The exception is where one partner is permanently in a residential care or nursing home. In such cases, each partner is assessed separately and their capital resources are not aggregated. We have no plans to amend these rules.