HL Deb 09 March 1976 vol 368 cc1264-5WA
Lord AVEBURY

asked Her Majesty's Government:

  1. (a) Whether they will seek to introduce legislation to provide that whenever electricity charges are increased to take account of rises in the cost of primary fuel, a corresponding increase is made in the scale rate allowance for heating, paid by the Supplementary Benefits Commission;
  2. (b) how many consumers of electricity have entered into "voluntary" savings agreements with the Supplementary Benefits Commission requiring them to save amounts in excess of the national scale rate allowances for fuel, and what is the average amount of the excess saving;
  3. (c) what additional amounts for heating expenses in cases of poor health, poor housing or a combination of these problems can be awarded at the discretion of its local officers by the Supplementary Benefits Commission; when these amounts were fixed and by what percentage the cost of electricity, gas and solid fuel respectively has increased on average in England and Wales since that date;
  4. (d) how many local authority dwellings in England and Wales have all-electric heating.

Lord WELLS-PESTELL

  1. (a) Supplementary benefit scale rates are increased at the same time and by the same cash amounts as increases in the main national insurance benefits. It is not administratively feasible to adjust the scale rates each time there is an increase in the price of electricity.
  2. (b) There are no fixed amounts for fuel included in supplementary benefit scale rates, but the Supplementary Benefits Commission make a standard deduction—currently £2.50 a week—in determining the net rent where the rent paid is inclusive of all fuel requirements; this amount is also used as the basis for determining the need for an extra heating addition where a fixed charge for central heating is levied by the landlord.
    • I regret that information on the number of savings agreements—whereby part of the person's benefit is saved and paid on his behalf to the fuel authority—is not available at present. Some information as to the numbers and the average amount involved will be available later this year, and we are examining ways of obtaining more detailed information.
  3. (c) Extra heating additions on grounds of ill-health or poor accommodation are awarded at one of three rates, viz., 55p, £1.10 and £1.65 a week, payable all the year round. These rates were fixed in May 1975 for implementation in November 1975 and took account of movements in the fuel component of the Index of Retail Prices, and of further fuel price es anticipated during the year. Since November 1975, electricity has increased in price by ½per cent. (fuel cost adjustment), there has been no increase in gas prices and solid fuel has increased by 3 per cent. (smokeless only).
  4. (d) I regret that the information requested in the last part of the Question is not available.