§ 26. Sir David Priceasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what consideration he has given to introducing flexible ages for eligibility for retirement benefit; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RossiI refer my hon. Friend to the considerations set out in chapter 3 of the Government's White Paper "Growing Older", Cmnd. 8173, and in the published oral and written evidence submitted by the Department to the Social Services Committee for its current study of the age of retirement. The Government's view is that arrangements for flexible retirement are a desirable long-term objective but that the cost of any worthwhile changes, the need to safeguard pensioner incomes on retirement, and the need to give occupational pension schemes and other interested parties lengthy advance notice of any change in present provisions preclude any early prospect of change in this direction. We shall be giving further consideration to the whole question of retirement age in the light of the Select Committee's report, which should be published later this year.
§ 33. Mr. Winnickasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the figures for those of working age receiving supplementary benefit in May 1979 at the latest available date; and if he will also state the percentage increase.
§ Mr. NewtonIn May 1979, 1.16 million people were receiving supplementary allowance, compared with 1.99 million in December 1981. This is an increase of 72 per cent.
Source: "Quarterly Statistical Enquiries" May 1979 and December 1981.
228W
§ 42. Mr. Hardyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what action is being taken to reduce delays in dealing with applications for mobility, attendance and disablement benefit.
§ Mr. RossiI am aware that there is some delay in clearing claims to mobility allowance and attendance allowance because of the increase in the number of claims to these benefits. I have asked that efforts be made to improve clearance times. I am not aware of any general delay in dealing with claims to disablement benefit, but if the hon. Member has a particular case in mind I should be glad to have details.
§ 45. Mr. Allen McKayasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will bring in measures to enable all unemployed persons to receive the long-term rate of supplementary benefits.
§ Mr. NewtonWe have recently extended entitlement to the long-term rate to unemployed supplementary beneficiaries aged 60 and over who have been receiving benefit for a year. We are well aware of the case for wider extensions of entitlement but cannot go further in present economic circumstances.