§ Mr. Andrew Bowdenasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, in the light of recently proposed increases in gas and electricity prices from April 1984, he will take steps to ensure that no supplementary pensioners with fixed heating costs above the element in the needs allowance will be worse off.
§ Dr. BoysonPeople on supplementary benefit who pay a fixed charge of more than £6.05 per week for all their heating—or £7.95 per week if lighting, cooking and hot water are included—to their landlord are entitled to a rebate of the excess from their local authority as part of their housing benefit. These specified amounts payable by the claimant will not be increased before the next general uprating of benefits in 1984. Those whose fixed charge does not pay for all their heating and who need extra warmth on grounds of ill health, disability, infirmity or age are entitled to the appropriate supplementary benefit heating additions.
§ Mr. Andrew Bowdenasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what will be the effect of 1984's announced increases in gas and electricity prices on social security expenditure.
§ Dr. BoysonThe uprating of benefits in November is generally based on the movement of prices in the 12 months to the previous May. The increases in gas and electricity prices will be automatically reflected in future upratings because they will affect both the fuel component of the retail prices index and the full RPI. The effects on social security expenditure will depend on changes not only in fuel prices but also on changes affecting other components of the RPI.
§ Mr. Freesonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the proportion of income spent on fuel by those on supplementary benefit, pensioners, and those on family income supplement.
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§ Dr. BoysonThe average proportion of net household income spent on fuel, derived from an analysis of data from the 1982 family expenditure survey, is as follows:
Per cent. Households where head is on supplementary benefit 11.2 Households where head is a pensioner 10.9 Households where head is in receipt of family income supplement 9.4