§ Mr. Johnasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what will be the average weekly loss to the 1.4 million long-term supplementary benefit claimants who stand to lose between 50p and £1 as a result of the proposed changes to the available scale margin; and what will be the average weekly loss to the 400,000 claimants who stand to lose up to 50p.
§ Dr. BoysonThe majority of claimants affected by the proposed change to the available scale margin (ASM) will receive either 50p or £1 less, as a result of the proposed changes, than they would otherwise have received. A small number of claimants with a heating addition, and also an underlying title to an additional requirement of less than 50p against which the ASM has been off-set, will receive from 51p to 99p less than they would otherwise have done. Similarly, a small number of claimants without heating additions but with an additional requirement of less than 50p after the ASM has been offset will receive from 1p to 49p less than they would otherwise have done. It is not possible in either case to estimate the average amount involved.