§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many disabled people who are unemployed, but considered to be capable of work, will suffer a cut in their standard of living in consequence of the Government's decision not to make good the 2 per cent. shortfall in the uprating of benefits for unemployed people.
§ Mr. RossiPrecise information is not available but there are 192,000 unemployed people registering for work and classified as disabled under the Disabled Persons (Employment) Acts. The great majority of these are likely to be receiving either unemployment benefit or supplementary benefit, or both, although some w ill also be receiving benefits which are covered by the Government's pledge to make good the shortfall in this year's uprating. But as my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor has said, final decisions on all the amounts of the 1982 uprating will be taken as usual next spring. Only then will it be possible to assess the effect of these decisions on the standard of living of any particular group.