Supplementary Benefit

HC Deb 27 November 1978 vol 959 cc47-8W

Mr. Wigley

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will introduce a

									£million
						Aids	Adaptation	Holidays	Telephones
1972–73	…	…	…	…	…	0.890	1.095	1.120	0.781
1973–74	…	…	…	…	…	1.190	1.982	1.705	1.491
1974–75	…	…	…	…	…	1.818	2.723	2.581	2.367
1975–76	…	…	…	…	…	2.233	3.334	3.175	3.249
1976–77	…	…	…	…	…	2.732	3.132	3.634	3.127
1977–78 (provisional)	…	…	…	3.283	3.214	3.849	3.038

scheme whereby the parents of children who receive free school meals during term time can be paid correspondingly higher levels of supplementary benefit during periods of school holidays.

Mr. Orme:

No. The supplementary benefit scale rates are intended to cover all a person's everyday needs, including food. Because the value of free school meals is ignored in assessing entitlement to supplementary benefit, they give extra help during term time, but that does not justify paying additional supplementary benefit during the holidays.