HL Deb 22 June 1981 vol 421 cc957-8WA
The Earl of Selkirk

asked Her Majesty's Government:

To what benefits a person disabled in mind and body is entitled and to what deduction he is liable after parental support has ceased.

Lord Cullen of Ashbourne

Following is the information:

Payments for disablement

War disablement pension and additional allowances;

Industrial disablement benefit and additional allowances;

These are payable for disablement arising from, respectively, service in the armed forces and industrial injury;

Vaccine damage payment;

This is a lump-sum payment to those who have suffered severe damage as a result of vaccination against one of a number of specified diseases.

General benefits of the social security scheme to which disabled people may be entitled

Unemployment benefit;

Sickness benefit;

Invalidity benefit;

Non-contributory invalidity pension;

Attendance allowance;

Supplementary benefit;

Mobility allowance.

Of these benefits, supplementary benefit is the only one which is means-tested, and which may therefore be affected by parental support. The withdrawal of such support would not normally lead to a reduction of this benefit. Where, however, a child who has previously been a dependent member of a family receiving supplementary benefit becomes eligible to claim the benefit in his own right, normally at the age of 16, his entitlement may be affected by resources—for example, a vaccine damage payment held in trust for him—which would not have affected his parents' entitlement.

House adjourned at seven minutes before eleven o'clock.