Supplementary Benefit (Hansard, 4 July 1984)

§ Mr. Leighton
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the full year cost at 1984–85 benefit rates of extending the long-term rate of supplementary benefit to (a) all long-term unemployed who have been on supplementary benefit for a year, and of these; (b) all those with children, (c) those aged 50 to 59 years and (d) those aged 40 to 49 years.

§ Dr. Boyson
The full-year cost of extending the long-term rate of supplementary benefit in 1984–85:

£ million

(a) to all long-term unemployed who have been on supplementary benefit for a year is estimated at 485

and of these;

(b) to all those with children 225

(c) to those aged 50 to 59 years 90

(d) to those aged 40 to 49 years 85

§ Mr. Chris Smith
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) whether he is satisfied that existing supplementary benefit regulations relating to furniture grants secure value for public money;
(2) whether he intends to change the supplementary benefit regulations relating to furniture grants in respect of the requirement that claimants live in bed and breakfast accommodation even where cheaper permanent housing has been offered.

§ Dr. Boyson
The Supplementary Benefit (Single Payments) Regulations provide that certain categories of claimants are eligible for single payments for essential items of furniture and household goods, when moving into unfurnished accommodation, only if there is no suitable alternative furnished accommodation available. The reasons for this policy are set out in my reply to the hon. Member for Bishop Auckland (Mr. Foster) on 8 May at column374 and we have no plans at present to change it. We have, however, asked the social security policy inspectorate to investigate the way these provisions are working and will be considering whether any changes are appropriate in the light of its report, any view which the Social Security Advisory Committee expresses on the Supplementary Benefit (Single Payments) Amendment Regulations 1984, which it is at present considering, and the current review of the supplementary benefit scheme as a whole.

§ Mr. Tony Lloyd
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will consider amending existing supplementary benefit rules to allow a single payment to be made to householders to cover fire insurance;
(2) how much a householder in receipt of supplementary benefit may be reimbursed by his Department for fire insurance.

§ Dr. Boyson
If a supplementary benefit claimant is an owner-occupier or is responsible for all repairs to and/or the insurance of the home, his supplementary benefit assessment will include a standard allowance of £1.70 a week towards maintenance and insurance. If the claimant's actual insurance costs exceed the standard allowance and there are special circumstances, for example, a high fire risk, justifying above average expenditure, a higher weekly allowance may be awarded. I do not consider that it would be appropriate to amend the206W regulations to allow single payments to be made for insurance costs, either in addition to or instead of the weekly allowance.

§ Mr. Campbell-Savours
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) for those offices covering the Workington travel-to-work area, what was the total number of supplementary benefit claimants for the last month for which statistics are available and the figure for the comparable month in 1983;
(2) for those offices covering the Workington travel-to-work area, what was the total number of unemployed people claiming supplementary benefit during the last month for which statistics are available and the figures for the comparable month in 1983;
(3) for those offices covering the Workington travel-to-work area, what was the total number of supplementary benefit appeals registered during the last month for which statistics are available.

§ Dr. Boyson
Eleven supplementary benefit appeals were registered at the Workington local office during June 1984. The number of cases handled by that office in May 1984, the latest available period and the comparable figures for May 1983 were as follows:

May 1984 (thousands) May 1983

Total number claiming supplementary benefit 6.3 6.1

Unemployed people claiming supplementary benefit 2.4 2.7

	£ million
(a) to all long-term unemployed who have been on supplementary benefit for a year is estimated at	485
and of these;
(b) to all those with children	225
(c) to those aged 50 to 59 years	90
(d) to those aged 40 to 49 years	85

	May 1984 (thousands)	May 1983
Total number claiming supplementary benefit	6.3	6.1
Unemployed people claiming supplementary benefit	2.4	2.7