§ 28. Miss Fookesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will relax the earnings limit for those eligible for the invalid care benefit.
75W
§ 29. Mr. Kenneth Clarkeasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will institute an annual review of the earnings stop for recipients of the invalid care allowance.
§ Mr. Alfred MorrisI would refer the hon. Members to paragraphs 16 to 22 of the recent Report of the National Insurance Advisory Committee (House of Commons Paper No. 271) on the draft Social Security (Invalid Care Allowance) Regulations, S.I. 1976 No. 409. The committee considered with great care both the level of earnings which would be consistent with the receipt of a benefit intended for people who have taken on a full-time caring rôle and the question of reviewing that level. The committee's recommendation that the level should be set at £6 a week, instead of £4 as proposed in the draft Regulations, will be implemented when invalid care allowance begins in July. Moreover, the level will be reviewed from time to time as the committee advised.