HC Deb 11 November 1981 vol 12 c111W
Mr. Kilroy-Silk

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will circulate all of his Department's offices in order to ensure that all those in receipt of attendance allowances are also receiving heating allowance and that heating allowance should be backdated to November 1980.

Mrs. Chalker

Heating additions are payable only to attendance allowance recipients who are also entitled to supplementary benefit. Instructions went to all DHSS local offices before the November 1980 uprating to ensure that all supplementary benefit claimants in receipt of attendance allowance, constant attendance allowance or mobility allowance automatically received the higher rate heating addition from the date of the uprating.

I am not aware of any difficulties in giving effect to these instructions but if the hon. Member knows of a specific problem and will let me have the details, I shall look into it.