§ Mr. Freudasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many retirement pensioners are currently in receipt of financial assistance in respect of fuel costs; and what were the equivalent figures for the last two years.
§ Mrs. ChalkerRetirement pensioners can receive help with fuel costs through the heating additions in the supplementary benefit scheme. The categories eligible for heating additions were widened in November 1980 at the same time as the additions themselves were substantially increased. Any supplementary pensioner in ill health or poor housing can get a heating addition at either the basic or higher rate as appropriate and all supplementary pensioner householders aged 70 or over now qualify automatically for the basic rate. It was estimated that about an extra 120,000 pensioners would receive heating additions as a result of the November 1980 measures, but firm figures are not yet available. Figures for the previous two years for all supplementary pensioners are as follows:
365W
November 1978 1,234,000 November 1979 1,410,000 The electricity discount scheme operated in the winter of 1978–79. Under the scheme, which covered people on supplementary benefit, family income supplement and rent and rate rebates, it was estimated that about 2½ million pensioners received help averaging about £7.50. This compares with £72.80 and £176.80 a year now available to pensioners through the two rates of supplementary benefit heating addition.
§ Mr. Freudasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will publish in the Official Report the number of instances where a coroner has deleted a clinical diagnosis of death from hypothermia from death certificates in each of the last three years.
§ Sir George YoungI regret that this information is not available.