§ Mr. David Steelasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied that no hardship is caused when 291W the supplementary benefit to which a wife is entitled becomes withheld owing to the operation of the regulations which deem a wife's entitlement to be assessed as part of a family unit even though that wife may be temporarily living away from her husband and conducting her financial arrangements independently; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NewtonIn the assessment of claims for supplementary benefit, the principle that the resources and requirements of married couples must be aggregated reflects the assumption that husband and wife have a mutual obligation to provide for each other. This principle continues to operate even where one partner is temporarily away from home. If, however, in these circumstances a husband is no longer supporting his wife, there is provision under the urgent cases regulations for her to claim supplementary benefit in her own right. Benefit would be paid at a reduced rate for the first two weeks, as with all urgent needs payments, but if the situation continued beyond two weeks payment would be at the normal rates for a single woman in similar circumstances.
If the right hon. Member has a particular case in mind perhaps he would write to me.
§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the total number of persons in receipt of supplementary benefit in (a) Wolverhampton and (b) the West Midlands at the latest available date, together with a breakdown of these figures by claimant group, registered unemployed, sick and disabled, unemployed in receipt of the long-term scale rate, one-parent families, pensioners and others.
§ Mr. NewtonInformation at February 1982, the latest available date, is as follows:
Wolverhampton* West Midlands Social Security Region Supplementary allowance cases: Sick and disabled 1,500 23,300 Single parent families† 2,600 39,700 Registered unemployed 14,600 195,200 Unemployed on long-term scale rate 100 2,500 Others 500 7,900 ‡Total supplementary allowances 19,400 268,500 Supplementary pensioners 10,800 166,500 Total supplementary beneficiaries 30,200 434,900 * The two Wolverhampton offices may also deal with people who live outside Wolverhampton. † Excludes some one parent families in other groups, for example, widows with national insurance benefit and those who are unemployed. ‡Sub-heads do not add to totals because of rounding. Source: 100 per cent. count of cases in action February 1982.
§ Mr. Peter Lloydasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will now announce the November 1982 changes in those rates of supplementary benefit which were not available at the time of his uprating statement on 10 March.
§ Mr. FowlerThe changes are as follows:
292W
Current rate(s) £ November 1982 rate(s) £ Non-householder's housing contribution 2.55 3.10 Standard non-dependant's housing contribution 5.40 6.55 Modified non-dependant's housing contribution 2.55 3.10 Board and lodging meals allowances Breakfast 0.90 0.95 Lunch 1.25 1.35 Dinner 1.25 1.35 Expenses incidental to sub-letting Furnished 2.30 2.50 Unfurnished 1.15 1.25 Other (eg for garage) 0.30 0.35 Deductions for fuel from inclusive rents Heating 5.10 5.60 Cooking 0.60 0.65 Hot Water 0.60 0.65 Lighting 0.40 0.45 Repairs and insurance allowance 1.65 1.70 (from 1 April 1983) Extra provision for board and lodging charges Claimants under pension age with an underlying entitlement to the long-term scale rate, up to 5.75 6.30 Claimants under pension age or dependents, who are infirm because of a mental or physical disability, up to 6.50 7.00 Claimants over pension age, or who satisfy both of above conditions or who are in care accommodation not provided by a local authority or an area health authority, up to 12.25 13.30 Central heating addition Lower rate (1–4 rooms) 1.65 1.90 Higher rate (5 or more rooms) 3.30 3.80 Lower rate dietary addition 1.30 1.45 Higher rate dietary addition 3.05 3.35 Dietary addition for dialysis 8.70 9.60 Amount above which laundry expenses may be met 0.40 0.45 Reduction in benefit paid to strikers for their families 13.00 14.50 Disregard of union strike payments Direct deduction from benefit for housing and fuel debts: Basic rate (5 per cent, of single householder rate) 1.20 1.30 Higher rate for fuel (10 per cent, of single householder rate) 2.35 2.60 Personal expenses rate for claimants in: Resettlement units 5.90 6.55 Re-establishment centres 7.75 8.55 Ilford Park Polish Home 8.55 9.45
§ Mr. Tilleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, further to his answer of 29 April,Official Report, c. 331, he will place in the Library a copy of the new instructions to staff in supplementary benefit offices on the handling of claims to supplementary benefit of people from abroad.
§ Mr. Newton[pursuant to his reply, 17 May 1982, c. 42]: Pending publication of the S manual, we do not think it appropriate to make available piecemeal the Department's procedural circulars, as distinct from the guidance in chief supplementary benefit officer's memoranda, which are already published. In this case, however, procedures and guidance have for practical 293W reasons been combined in a circular and in view of the public interest in the matter I have, exceptionally, placed a copy in the Library.