§ Mr. Meacherasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list each specific different group of claimants which will have an extra 50p deducted under the available scale margin rule after 26 November, and the amounts that will be saved in each case.
§ Mr. WhitneyAbout 400,000 people on the long-term rate of supplementary benefit currently receive additions to their benefit for special needs which are paid after deduction of the 50p available scale margin. These people will be up to 50p a week less well off than they would otherwise have been after the general uprating of benefits at the end of this month when the deduction will be increased to £1. They are in the following groups:
Number affected (thousands) Estimated savings 1984/85 (£ thousands) Full year Supplementary pensioners 345 About 3,100 About 9,000 Sick and disabled* 30 About 300 About 800 Single parent families* 15 About 150 About 400 Unemployed men aged 60–64* 5 About 50 About 150 Others* 5 About 50 About 150 * Receiving supplementary allowance. However, about 170,000 pensioners will be better off because of the forthcoming extensions to heating additions. Overall, the changes announced by my right hon. Friend on 18 June, at columns 20–22, will increase expenditure on social security benefits by some £1,600 million.