§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what tests of (a) residence and (b) presence are applied to those claiming each of the following benefits: supplementary benefit, family income supplement, attendance allowance, mobility allowance, invalidity benefit, severe disablement allowance, invalid care allowance and housing benefit; in what ways he envisages the Government's proposals for reform of the social security system altering the current positions; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NewtonThe basic rules relating to residenceand presence are as follows:
Supplementary Benefit
There is no residence test for supplementary benefit, but the claimant must be present in Great Britain.Family Income Supplement
Family Income Supplement is payable to families present in Great Britain, provided that, at the date of claim, the family is ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom and at least one adult member is resident in Great Britain.Attendance and Invalid Care Allowance
For these benefits, the claimant must be:
- (a) ordinarily resident in Great Britain
- (b) present in Great Britain on the day for which benefit is claimed and any day thereafter and previously present for a period or periods amounting to 26 weeks in the 12 months preceding that day.
Mobility Allowance
The claimant must be:
- (a) ordinarily resident in Great Britain
- (b) present in Great Britain on the day for which benefit is claimed and previously present for a period or periods amounting to 52 weeks in the 18 months preceding that day.
Invalidity Benefit
There are no residence or presence tests but the benefit follows on from sickness benefit for which the relevant contribution conditions have to be satisfied. Invalidity benefit is paid to someone abroad only in defined circumstances and remains subject to the submission of medical evidence of incapacity for work.Severe Disablement Allowance
The claimant must:
- (a) have been ordinarily resident in Great Britain for at least 10 years in the 20 years preceding the claim, or if under age 20, at least 10 years since birth.
- (b) be present in Great Britain on the day for which benefit is claimed and any day thereafter and previously present for not less than 168 days out of the 196-day qualifying period of incapacity for work.
Housing Benefit
There are no presence rules for housing benefit. Claimants are eligible for benefit if they occupy a dwelling in Great Britain as their home.We are looking at ways in which differences between such rules can be reduced or eliminated so as to help both staff and claimants. The precise form of the presence test to be used in connection with the proposed income support scheme is also under consideration.
§ Mr. Gareth Wardellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what figures are available to indicate 531W the number of people by convenient district unit in England who are in receipt of (a) housing benefit, (b)housing benefit and supplementary benefit and (c)housing benefit supplement;
(2) what figures are available to indicate the number of people by convenient district unit in Wales who are in receipt of (a) housing benefit, (b) housing benefit and supplementary benefit and (c) housing benefit supplement.
§ Mr. WhitneyI have placed tables giving the numbers of recipients of rent rebates, rent allowances and rate rebates, in England and in Wales, in the Library. Housing benefit recipients who also receive supplementary benefit are identified as "certificated cases" in these tables. Information relating to housing benefit supplement is only available for 1983–84 and I have placed a copy of tables containing this information for England and for Wales in the Library. I have also sent a copy of these tables and the tables referred to above for 1985–86 direct to the hon. Member. All the information in the tables has been obtained from local authority subsidy claims.