§ Mr. Wm. Rossasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will seek to make the necessary legislative changes so that terms "occupier" or "in occupation" as they relate to assets of more than £2,000 value in claims for means tested benefits are replaced by the term "owner" and so allow an income assessment to replace the capital value where the owner is not resident on the property.
§ Mrs. ChalkerWith the exception of a claimant's home and personal possessions, any property he owns is generally counted as a capital resource for supplementary benefit purposes. We have no plans to amend the regulations in the way the hon. Member suggests, but if he has a particular case in mind where the regulations seem to be operating unreasonably and would care to let me have the details, I should be pleased to look into it.