§ Baroness Jegerasked Her Majesty's Government:
What change in real terms there has been since 1979 in the value of the invalidity pension for single persons and married couples; and what action is proposed to ameliorate living standards for these pensioners.
§ Lord EltonComparisons of benefit values can be misleading if they relate to other than uprating dates. Table 5.7 of theAbstract of Statistics for Index of Retail Prices, Average Earnings, Social Security Benefits and Contributions, a copy of which is in the Library of the House, shows the November 1981 equivalent of the benefit at earlier uprating dates.
The value of invalidity benefit will be fully protected against rises in prices and, once the benefit comes into tax, the rate of invalidity pension will be put back in line with the rate of retirement pension. The rates of invalidity allowance have already been restored to the level of the increases paid with retirement pension.