§ Lord Ennalsasked Her Majesty's Government:
In how many cases are relatives being called upon to top up fees for private and voluntary residential care for elderly people due to the ceilings on the fees payable by DHSS, and whether they are monitoring the social consequences of such payments by relatives.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of States Department of Health and Social Security (Baroness Trumpington)No information is collected centrally on the extent to which people provide financial assistance to their elderly relatives in homes. However, the thirty-fold increase in expenditure on supplementary benefit for people in homes under the present Government has undoubtedly helped many families.