§ Mr. Foulkesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many pensioners have lost entitlement to weekly heating additions and lump sum payments since (a) November 1982 and (b) April 1983.
§ Dr. BoysonIt is estimated that about 60,000 supplementary pensioners ceased to qualify for supplementary benefit on the introduction of housing benefit because their weekly income exceeded their supplementary benefit requirements — including any entitlement to additional requirements such as heating additions—consequently they are no longer eligible for supplementary benefit single payments.
I regret that information is not available on how many supplementary pensioners lost heating additions as a result of changes in the regulations relating to payments to supplementary benefit recipients who pay a fixed charge for their heating, which came into effect when housing benefit was introduced.