§ Mr. Freesonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take steps to provide that a year on invalidity benefit should count as a qualifying year for long term supplementary benefit.
§ Mr. RossiWe are well aware of the problem of the invalidity trap, and in November 1980 we enabled 16 and 17-year-olds in receipt of non-contributory invalidity pension to count periods in receipt of the pension towards the qualifying period for the long-term supplementary benefit scale rate. But a general extension of such provision to those in receipt of incapacity benefits would carry a substantial benefit and staff cost and cannot be made in present economic circumstances.