HC Deb 07 February 1973 vol 850 cc141-2W
Mr. Alec Jones

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a table indicating all types of cash allowances available for disabled people and the amounts paid out in each allowance for the last complete year.

Mr. Dean

Disabled people are eligible for and receive the whole range of social security benefits—in particular, very many elderly retired people receiving pensions are disabled to some extent. Total expenditure on all social security benefits —excluding administration—was approximately £4,200 million for the financial year 1971–72. The following table shows amounts paid by way of those social security benefits which are paid specifically for the sick and disabled:

Cost in financial year 1971–72
£ million
Sickness Benefit 323
Injury Benefit 31
Invalidity Benefit (including invalidity allowance) 91(a)
War Disablement Pension and allowances 90(b)
Industrial Disablement Benefit and allowances 74(c)
Attendance Allowance 6(d)
Supplementary benefit paid to people of working age who are incapable of work 83

Notes:

(a) Invalidity benefit replaced sickness benefit for the long-term sick and disabled in September 1971. The estimated cost for a full year is £180 million.

(b) Includes treatment allowances, unemployability supplement, invalidity allowance paid with unemployability supplement, constant attendance allowance, exceptionally severe disablement allowance, comforts allowance, allowance for lowered standard of occupation, age allowance, clothing allowance, and severe disablement occupational allowance.

(c) Includes unemployability supplement, special hardship allowance, constant attendance allowance and exceptionally severe disablement allowance.

(d) Attendance allowance was introduced in December 1971. The estimated cost for a full year is £23 million.