§ Mr. Lomasasked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will revise the scheme to allow a 25 per cent. discount on a quarter's electricity bill, in order to help families not claiming supplementary benefit or family income supplement; and if he will make a statement.
§ Dr. John A. CunninghamThis scheme can be operated only if the people it is designed to help can be readily indentified. People who do not claim their entitlement to either supplementary benefit or family income supplement cannot be so20W identified and cannot be included in the scheme. People entitled to these benefits are considered to be in greatest need of the help offered by the scheme, and the Government are always concerned to ensure that social security benefits are claimed by all those entitled to them. To extend the scheme beyond the two groups currently eligible would spread the £25 million available so thinly that the benefit to the individual would be too small to be of real help.
§ Mr. Lomasasked the Secretary of State for Energy what was the take-up of those families who were eligible for the 25 per cent. discount; and what action he proposes to take to ensure that all who are entitled should receive the benefit.
§ Dr. John A. CunninghamThe final account is expected to show that some 1.6 million people claimed the discount in 1977. This represents nearly 70 per cent. of those eligible. Under this winter's scheme all recipients of supplementary benefit and family income supplement will receive a payment of £5 in January. Area board consumers with bills exceeding £20 will also be able to claim a further discount. I am arranging for more widespread publicity than was given to last winter's scheme to encourage all who are eligible to claim to do so.