§ 60. Mr. David Priceasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what progress he has made in working out the necessary administrative arrangements for introducing the non-contributory invalidity pension for disabled housewives; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Alfred MorrisThe pilot exercise to study a test of incapacity for normal household duties has been completed. It is my intention to arrange for the results and conclusions to be discussed with the hon. Member and his colleagues in the All-Party Disablement Group in the House, and also with the Disablement Income Group, in the near future. I am grateful to the hon. Member and his colleagues for their continuing help in this important matter.
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his estimate of the amount of money the Gov- 126W ernment will have saved by November 1977 from not having introduced the noncontributory invalidity pension for disabled housewives at the same time as for other recipients.
§ Mr. Alfred MorrisMy hon. Friend will be aware that it was never the Government's intention to include disabled housewives from November 1975. If it had been thought possible to pay the non-contributory invalidity pension to housewives from that date, net expenditure between then and November 1977 might have amounted to about £35 million.
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his latest estimate of the number of disabled housewives who will qualify for non-contributory invalidity pension; and what is his latest estimate of the gross cost and net cost, respectively, of its introduction at November 1976 rates.
§ Mr. Alfred MorrisSuch estimates as can be made depend on the 1968–69 survey "Handicapped and Impaired in Great Britain". The details were given in paragraph 12 of the House of Commons Paper (No. 276) on Social Security Provision for Chronically Sick and Disabled People, issued in September 1974. The gross full-year cost of paying the November 1976 rate of non-contributory invalidity pension to an estimated 40,000 housewives with husbands in work would be £19 million. If married women whose husbands were not working claimed non-contributory invalidity pension in place of an increase of benefit paid to the husband, the gross expenditure on the housewives' part of the new benefit would rise to about £21½ million in a full year at November 1976 benefit rates.
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his estimate of the number of households containing a disabled housewife who will become eligible for non-contributory invalidity pension. which are at present in receipt of supplementary benefit; and what proportion of these households he expects to be raised above the supplementary benefit level by the introduction of the disabled housewives benefit.
§ Mr. Alfred MorrisI regret that information on which to base the estimates for 127W which my hon. Friend has asked is not available.
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a further statement on the progress in establishing an assessment procedure for disabled housewives' non-contributory invalidity pension.
§ Mr. Alfred MorrisFollowing evaluation of a useful pilot exercise, the conclusions we have reached about the system for determining incapacity for housework will be discussed with my hon. Friend and his colleagues in the All-Party Disablement Group, and also with the Disablement Income Group. The discussions in which my hon. Friend himself took part contributed greatly to the preparatory work, and I am grateful to all who gave me their help.