§ Mrs. Chalkerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what definition of handicap is used in deciding eligibility for death grant made payable through the contributions of a near relative; and which categories of relative are considered near.
§ Mr. DeakinsThe criterion for accepting an adult as handicapped for death grant purposes is that, at his death, he 55W should have been continuously incapable of undertaking regular employment since the age of 19 because of either a mental or a physical disability.
A "near relative" is defined in Section 32 of the Social Security Act 1975 as a person of whom the deceased was the child or remoter issue, or who was the deceased's child or remoter issue or the deceased's stepfather, stepmother, or stepchild, or the deceased's brother, sister, half-brother, half-sister, stepbrother or stepsister. The definition includes a relative by adoption and any person who would have been a near relative if some person who was born illegitimate had been born legitimate.
If the hon. Lady has a particular case in mind, perhaps she would let me know.