HC Deb 24 July 1975 vol 896 cc336-8W
Mr. Kenneth Clarke

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether she will list all the means-tested benefits, subsidies, rebates and allowances which at the moment are available to taxpayers above the tax threshhold for income tax.

Mr. O'Malley

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 15th July 1975; Vol. 895, c. 470], circulated the following information.

The means tested benefits, rebates and allowances which are available at the moment to taxpayers above the tax threshold for income tax are listed below. There are no means-tested subsidies.

  1. 1. Supplementary Benefit
  2. 2. Family income supplement
  3. 3. Free milk and vitamins
    • Help with National Health Service charges for
  4. 4. Dental treatment, dentures and glasses
  5. 5. Prescriptions
  6. 6. Wigs and fabric supports
  7. 7. Patients' hospital travelling expenses
  8. 8. Legal aid (civil)
  9. 9. Legal advice and assistance
  10. 10. Legal aid (criminal)
  11. 11. Grants to severely disabled people—to assist with excessive cost of fares to work or to set up in business on own account when this appears to provide the only satisfactory means of resettlement.
  12. 12. Professional Training Scheme for Disabled People
  13. 13. Awards for students taking certain postgraduate courses
    14. 337
  14. 14. Rent rebates and allowances
  15. 15. Rate rebates
  16. 16. Free school meals
  17. 17. Awards for students on first degree or comparable courses or undergoing training as teachers
  18. 18. Remission of direct grant school tuition fees
  19. 19. Accommodation under Part III of the National Assistance Act 1948.

The list above includes several benefits based on statutory assessments admini- stered by local authorities—i.e., the local authorities have little or no discretion to amend the assessment scales. In addition these authorities administer a number of other mean-tested benefits, but both the extent of assistance given and the income scale used in determining entitlement are at the discretion of these authorities. Variations in these factors make it impossible to say to what extent these benefits are available to people above the tax threshold.