§ Mr. Frank Fieldasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many organisations have responded to the Government's consultative document on the death grant; and if he will summarise their responses.
§ Dr. BoysonThe total of 630 responses is made up mainly of replies from various branches of pensioners' interests (pensioners' associations, Age Concern, Pensioners' Voice), from labour organisations (the TUC and various headquarters and branches of individual unions), and from various representative bodies, for example community health councils, councils for social services and local authorities. One hundred and thirty nine came from individuals writing in a private capacity.
About 30 per cent. of the 630 replies supported one or more of the three options. fifty five per cent. rejected them all, of which just over half called for the restoration of the 1949 value; 15 per cent. covered other suggestions. There were three small and one large petitions rejecting all proposals.
§ Mr. Frank Fieldasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his latest estimate of the number of people who are ineligible for the death grant because of age; and what would be the cost of granting this group eligibility.
§ Dr. BoysonIt is estimated that there are 25,000 people who would be ineligible for any death grant on grounds of age. If full-rate death grant of £30 were paid to these cases, and to those cases who are at present eligible only for a half-rate grant on grounds of age, of whom there are 450,000 people alive, the total cost would be £7½ million.
§ Mr. Frank Fieldasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the cost of increasing the death grant to £50, £100, £150, £200, £250, £300, £350 and £400 (a) under present eligibility rules and (b) by removing the current restrictions to benefit.
§ Dr. BoysonThe table shows the estimated cost in a full year of increasing death grant:
Rate Extra Cost Under present eligibility rules If paid for all deaths £ £ million £ million 50 12 15 100 41 48 150 70 81 200 99 113 250 128 146 300 157 178 350 186 211 400 215 244
§ Mr. Frank Fieldasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people would be eligible for death grant if eligibility were restricted to those on supplementary benefit, family income supplement and housing benefit; and at what level the grant could then be paid for the same total annual expenditure.
§ Dr. BoysonAbout 230,000 people would be eligible for a grant of about £75.