§ Mr. Meacherasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, pursuant to his reply on 17 January, Official Report, column 746, he will publish a similar table showing the rate of income support for a single person, assuming annual increases in the income support rate in line with average earnings and annual increases of earnings of 1½ per cent, in real terms (a) including the premium for a person aged over 80 years and disabled and (b) excluding that premium.
§ Mr. Newton[pursuant to his reply, 7 February, c. 287]: The information requested is given in the table. It shows levels of income support for a single pensioner (a) on reaching his or her 80th birthday and (b) on reaching pensionable age, if the illustrative income support rates 390W shown in the technical annex to the White Paper were increased annually by 1½ per cent. in real terms from November 1985. If income support rates continued to rise in line with prices, the single pensioner rates in all cases would be £40.60 at ages up to 79 and £42.85 for those aged 80 and over.
Age in 1988 Table numbers in the Technical Annex to the White Paper (a) (b) P1–P6 P1, P2 P3–P6 16 114 87 81 20 108 82 76 30 93 70 65 40 80 61 56 All figures are in £ per week at November 1985 prices