SUPPLEMENTARY BENEFIT DISREGARD LEVELS

HL Deb 29 October 1981 vol 424 cc1189-90WA

Lord Evans of Claughton

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they have any intention, and if so when, of increasing the disallowance entitlement for people on Supplementary Benefit who are in receipt of payment from charities so that it takes into account the increase in the Retail Price Index that has taken place since the entitlement was last set in 1975.

Lord Elton

The Government reviewed all the supplementary benefit disregard levels in the course of introducing the revised supplementary benefit scheme last November. To increase the levels of disregards has a cost in terms of increased expenditure on benefits, and successive Governments have taken the broad view that in a means-tested scheme of last resort it is better, so far as possible, to concentrate scarce resources on improving the scale rates which benefit everyone rather than raising the disregards which benefit only those people who already have other resources. Nevertheless, we shall continue to keep the disregards under regular review.