§ Mr. Terry Davisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many visits to recipients or claimants of supplementary benefit were undertaken by the staff of each of the 11 county offices of his Department in Birmingham during the most recent four-week period for which the information is available; and how many such visits were outstanding at each office at the end of this period.
§ Mr. NewtonThe information for the four week period ending 16 March 1982 is as follows:46W
DHSS Local Office Number of visits undertaken in the four week period ending 16 March 1982 Number of visits outstanding at 16 March 1982 Bradford St 1099 970 Edgbaston 1550 1119 Erdington 946 776 Handsworth 997 419 Ladywood 1262 1226 Northfield 1070 364 Perry Barr 575 760 Ravenhurst 719 362 South Yardley 1152 953 Sparkhill 735 435 Washwood Heath 856 881 Total 10,961 8,265
§ Mr. Raceasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will ensure that copies of the yellow book, "The Guide to the Law Relating to Supplementary Benefit", are made available to branches of the Claimants' Union.
§ Mr. NewtonCopies of the Yellow Book are available for consultation at the local offices of the Department.
§ Miss Richardsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what proportion of single payments to those on supplementary benefit, in the most recent convenient period, have been paid in respect of maternity needs; and what the total sum paid out in single payments for maternity needs has been in the same period.
§ Mr. NewtonExisting statistical records do not allow maternity needs to be separately identified. Payments made under regulation 7 of the Supplementary Benefits (Single Payments) Regulations are now being recorded separately, and the information relating to 1981 should be available later in the year.
§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he intends to increase the various supplementary benefit income disregards in November; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NewtonAs my right hon. Friend announced to the House on 10 March, we propose to increase from November from £20 to £100 the amount of occasional payments by way of a gift, for example at Christmas or for a birthday, which can be disregarded in the week in which it is received. We have no plans to increase any of the other income disregards at that time. Successive Governments have taken the broad view that in a means-tested scheme of last resort the first call on additional resources should be to improve the scale rates which benefit everyone rather than to raise the disregards which benefit only those people who already have other resources. Nevertheless, we shall continue to keep the disregards under regular review.