§ Mr. Leadbitterasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what proposals he has to deal with all those cases which fall into the category of poverty, defined by the Supplementary Benefits Commission in its annual report as a standard of living so low that it cuts people off from normal community life; and what assessment he has made to ensure that the Commission's concern that benefits should 167W keep people warm, reasonably fed and well enough dressed to maintain self respect is met.
§ Mrs. Chalker[pursuant to her reply, 29 October 1979, c. 435]: The Supplementary Benefits Commission is concerned to define poverty in a way that reflects its perceptions of the daily experience of its clients, and its definition accords with the generally agreed view that it is not sufficient to assess poverty by absolute standards: nowadays it must be judged on relative criteria by comparison with the standard of living of other groups in the community. I agree, therefore, with what the Commission says in 168W paragraph 3.13 of its annual report that the level of benefits
should be decided by sensitive use of the subjective test that beneficiaries must have an income which enables them to participate in the life of the community.The Government's policies are directed to ensuring that benefits are at that level. Our proposals for help with fuel costs for those on supplementary benefit and family income supplement this winter were announced by my right hon. Friend on 22 October, and our proposals resulting from the comprehensive review of the supplementary benefits scheme will be announced shortly.—[Vol. 972, c. 35–36.]