§ Mr. Fatchettasked the Secretary of State for Social Services for what categories of claimants entitlement to single payments for furniture is subject to the condition that there is no suitable alternative furnished accommodation; and how they differ from the categories to whom the condition was applied by the Supplementary Benefits Commission prior to November 1980
§ Mr. NewtonUnder current legislation, as under the policy of the Supplementary Benefits Commission, different conditions apply for people in existing accommodation and for those moving into unfurnished or partly furnished accommodation. The categories of people currently eligible for help when moving home—defined precisely in regulation 10(1)(a) of the Supplementary Benefit (Single Payments) Regulations 1981 — are, broadly, as follows:
i. claimants whose move is necessary in that they satisfied the conditions, elsewhere in the regulations, for help with removal expenses (for example because of bereavement, divorce or marital breakdown or because the existing home is unhealthy, unsafe or overcrowded);
358Whowever, it is estimated that there will be a net increase in the number of married women newly qualifying for severe disablement allowance each year compared with the number who would have qualified for housewives' non-contributory invalidity pension.
Firm figures are not available of the number of men and single women who would have qualified annually for noncontributory invalidity pension but who will fail to qualify for severe disablement allowance but it is expected to be small.