§ Mrs. Wiseasked the Secretary of State for Social Services in the event of separation of a married couple who are in receipt of supplementary benefit with long-term addition and who thereafter become separate claimants, whether he will in future treat the wife as a long-term claimant instead of only the husband as at present.
§ Mr. OrmeThe Supplementary Benefits Commission decided earlier this year to exercise its discretion so that a newly separated wife under pension age is now given the benefit of a qualifying period for the long-term scale rate preceding the separation during which her requirements and resources were aggregated with those of her husband. If that period was two years or more, and she is not required to register for work, the long-term rate applies immediately.