§ Mr. Freudasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the current figure for income disregard in respect of old people admitted to local authority homes; when this figure was last changed; how it compares with the income disregard for supplementary benefit; what representations he has received in respect of the case for adjusting it; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Newton[pursuant to his reply, 27 January 1986, c. 392]: The income disregards for assessing ability to pay charges in local authority (part III) residential homes have been effective in their present form since November 1975. The following table compares them with those related to supplementary benefit:
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Source of income Supplementary benefit Part III Mobility allowance A A Attendance allowance *A †A Constant attendance allowance paid with war pension *A †A Payments made to holders of the Victoria or George Cross A A Payments (other than those derived from a liable relative) intended and used for leisure/amenity items or items for which the supplementary benefit scheme does not provide and for which housing benefit is not payable A — Charitable or voluntary sums for a specific purpose not provided by the Part III home — B Industrial injuries constant attendance allowance *A †B
Source of income Supplementary benefit Part III Gallantry and meritorious service awards A B War pensioners' clothing allowances C B War disablement pensions C C Service attributable disablement and widow's pensions C C Industrial injury disablement pensions C C Workmen's compensation and any supplements C C War and industrial widow's pension or widower's pension C — That part of a war widow's or widower's pension and industrial widow's or widower's pension which exceeds the standard rate of National Insurance widow's or widower's pension — C Police and firemen's disablement pensions C C Police and fire service special widow's pensions. C C Civil list pensions C C A pension, including widow's pension, from former employers E D Redundancy payments paid by weekly or other periodical instalments E D Occupational pension in the form of an annuity arranged by the employer E D Cash in lieu of mine-workers' concessionary coal E D Miscellaneous income resources such as payments from charities, benevolent funds or annuities — C Miscellaneous income resources such as regular payments from charities, trusts or from friends, relatives not mentioned in regulations or analgeous to them C — Key to symbols
- A Complete disregard.
- B Discretionary disregard up to full amount
- C Disregard up to maximum of £4 in total.
- D Disregard of £1 but not more than £4 together with disregard at C. No more than £1 can be disregarded in total of payments from any of these sources.
- E Taken fully into account.
- * This does not apply to certain claimants in residential care and nursing homes.
- † Payment ceases after four weeks' residence in part III.
The responses to the consultative document on part III assessment published in January 1984 were broadly in favour of aligning the treatment of both income and capital with the supplementary benefit arrangements. Possible means of harmonising financial support for people in residential care, including residents in part III homes, are among the matters to be examined by the proposed working party with the local authority associations described in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Mid-Kent (Mr. Rowe) today.