§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what supplementary benefit rate for adult non-householders could be financed on a revenue neutral basis, assuming replacement of the present supplementary benefit rate structure by a new structure paying £25.70 for each head of household and a lesser amount for every non-householder adult aged over 18 years, regardless of marital status.
§ Mr. NewtonApplying 1982 rates of benefit to the numbers in receipt of benefit in December 1981, and on the assumption that there would not be separate ordinary and long-term rates, it is estimated that the rate for adult non-householders would be £20.85.
§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the savings in 1983–84 and in a full year if the supplementary benefit scale rate entitlements for adult non-householders were reduced to equal that payable for a wife, being the difference between the rates for a married couple and a single householder.
§ Mr. NewtonApplying November 1982 rates of benefit to the numbers in receipt of benefit in December 1981 the estimated savings would be £139 million in a full year. It is not possible to estimate savings in 1983–84 because it is not known what the benefit rates will be in November 1983.
§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the number of people on Merseyside with incomes below supplementary benefit level.
§ Mr. NewtonI regret that the information is not available.
§ Mr. Frank R. Whiteasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the amount of unclaimed supplementary benefit in the area covered by the Bury and Radcliffe constituency; and whether any investigation has been initiated to determine why the amount remains unclaimed.
§ Mr. NewtonIt is not possible to make estimates of the amount of benefit unclaimed for individual constituencies.