§ Mr. Frank Cookasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what special exercises geared specifically to providing more advice and information to elderly people for the purpose of ensuring that they are made aware of benefits to which they might be entitled were mounted in 1985–86 by the Department of Health and Social Security local offices at Stockton, Middlesbrough, Hartlepool, Redcar and Eston.
§ Mr. LyellIn 1985–86 the mobile publicity officer based at the Department's Stockton local office gave 120 talks, displays and surgeries on benefits' advice and information in the Stockton, Middlesbrough, Hartlepool, Redcar, Eston, South Durham and North Yorkshire areas. Of these 47 were directed specifically at the elderly, 42 others were aimed at professional groups—for example. home helps, social workers — in frequent contact with the elderly. The regional information officer talked to five parish councils about subjects of concern to the elderly —for example, exceptionally severe weather—and staff from three local offices in the area gave 10 talks to retirement clubs.
The regional information officer also made 52 broadcasts and the mobile publicity officer held 21 exhibitions in the community covering the whole range of benefits' advice and information.
These initiatives complemented the normal flow of advice to the elderly through local offices, the Freefone service, leaflets, posters and order book notes.
§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will give details of the total number of recipients of housing benefit for 1979 and each subsequent year;
(2) if he will state the total number of recipients of housing benefit for each year from 1979 up to the present date.
§ Mr. LyellI regret that the information is not available in the precise form requested. The table combines information from different sources before and after the introduction of housing benefit in 1982–83.
541W
Average number of recipients (Great Britain) (thousands) Year Rent rebates Rent allowances Rate rebates2 1979–80 1,205 220 3,065 1980–81 1,330 240 3,350 1981–82 1,590 250 3,700 1982–831 3,050 260 5,320 1983–84 3,780 1,020 7,020 1984–85 3,790 1,120 7,220 1985–86 3,860 1,160 7,270 1986–873 3,745 1,190 7,120 1 Figures for 1982–83 include those local authority tenants receiving housing assistance in supplementary benefit who in November 1982 were included in the partial start of the housing benefits scheme. 2 Most recipients of rent rebates-allowances also receive rate rebates. Rate rebate recipients include owner occupiers. 3 Estimates for 1986–87 are provisional and are subject to revision. Estimates for earlier years may be subject to minor revision.
§ Mr. Frank Cookasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make available guidance given to local offices of his Department as to what cases are suitable and what cases are not suitable for referral to HQ sB3C for consideration of Secretary of State discretion under the Supplementary Benefit (Requirement) Regulations, schedule 2A paragraph 54)(m) and also the guidance that HQ sB3C uses in determining which cases qualify and which cases do not qualify for Secretary of State discretion under that same regulation.
542W
Benefit rates: Increases in real terms A B C D Benefit November 1979 actual November 1979 at July 1986 prices July 1986 actual Percentage increase (C over B) 1. Retirement pension single 23.30 37.71 38.70 2.6 couple 37.30 60.37 61.95 2.6 2. Non-contributory over-80s pension single 14.00 22.65 23.25 2.6 couple 22.40 36.24 37.15 2.5 3. Widows' Benefits Widow's allowance 32.60 52.75 54.20 2.7 Widowed mother's allowance 23.30 37.71 38.70 2.6 Widow's pension 23.30 37.71 38.70 2.6 Age-related widow's pension —30 per cent.—93 per cent, of rate of widow's pension 4. Invalidity pension single 23.30 37.71 38.70 2.6 couple 37.30 60.37 61.95 2.6 5. Unemployment benefit single 18.50 29.93 30.80 2.9 couple 29.95 48.46 49.80 2.8 6. Sickness benefit single 18.50 29.93 29.45 -1.6 couple 29.95 48.46 47.65 -1.7 7. Maternity allowance single 18.50 29.93 29.45 -1.6 couple 29.95 48.46 47.65 -1.7 Maternity grant (lump sum)
§ Mr. MajorI refer the hon. Member to my predecessor's replies to the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire (Mr. Kirkwood) on 26 June 1986 at column291 and on 12 February 1986 at columns 488–89.
§ Mr. Barry Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many recipients of supplementary benefit in Wales in (a) 1980, (b) 1983 and(c) 1986 were one-parent families.
§ Mr. LyellThe information is as follows:
Number of lone-parent recipients (thousands) Year Number 1980 19 1983 27 19841 28 1 Latest available date. Source: Annual statistical inquiries.
§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will state the value in real terms, both in absolute figures and as a percentage, of retirement and other state pensions and all other welfare and national insurance benefits and allowances paid in November 1979 compared with those paid in November 1986; and if he will also indicate the actual figure for each benefit in each year.
§ Mr. MajorThe information requested is shown in the table for the major social security benefits for November 1979 and July 1986, the date of the last benefit uprating.
543W544W 545W
A B C D Benefit November 1979 actual November 1979 at July 1986 prices July 1986 actual Percentage increase (C over B) 8. Severe disablement allowance1 single 14.00 22.65 23.25 2.6 couple 22.40 36.24 37.15 2.5 9. Attendance allowance higher rate 18.60 30.09 30.95 2.9 lower rate 12.40 20.06 20.65 2.9 10. Invalid care allowance single 14.00 22.65 23.25 2.6 couple 22.40 36.24 37.15 2.5 11. Mobility allowance 12.00 19.42 21.65 11.5 12. Child benefit 24.00 7.18 7.10 -1.1 13. One parent benefit 2.50 4.49 4.60 2.4 14. Family income supplement Prescribed amount3 for one child family, where child is aged under 11 56.00 90.61 98.60 8.8 11–15 99.60 9.9 16 and over 100.60 11.0 Maximum amount for one child family, where child is aged under 11 13.50 21.84 25.30 15.8 11–15 25.80 18.1 16 and over 26.30 20.4 15. Supplementary benefit4 Long-terms rates single (householder) 23.70 36.64 37.90 3.4 couple (householder) 37.65 58.21 60.65 4.2 non.householder 18 or over 18.95 29.30 30.35 3.6 non.householder 16–17 11.25 17.39 23.25 33.7 Ordinary rates single (householder) 18.30 28.29 29.80 5.3 couple (householder) 29.70 45.92 48.40 5.4 non-householder 18 or over 14.65 22.65 23.85 5.3 non-householder 16–17 11.25 17.39 18.40 5.8 Dependent Children5 over 18 14.65 22.65 23.85 5.3 16–17 11.25 17.39 18.40 5.8 11–15 7.70/9.35 11.90/14.45 15.30 28.6/5.9 under 11 5.20/6.25 8.04/9.66 10.20 26.9/5.6 16. Industrial disablement pension over 18 38.00 61.48 63.20 2.8 under 18 23.30 37.71 38.70 2.6 reduced rates—10 per cent— 90 per cent. of basic rate Maximum disablement gratuity (lump sum) 2,530.00 4,093.54 4,200.00 2.6 Unemployability supplement 23.30 37.71 38.70 2.6 Maximum special hardship allowance 15.20 24.59 25.28 2.8 Industrial death benefit initial rate 32.60 52.75 54.20 2.7 higher permanent rate 23.85 38.59 39.25 1.7 lower permanent rate 6.99 11.31 11.61 2.6 Constant attendance allowance
A B C D Benefit November 1979 actual November 1979 at July 1986 prices July 1986 actual Percentage increase (C over B) normal maximum rate 15.20 24.59 25.30 2.9 part-time rate 7.60 12.30 12.65 2.8 intermediate rate 22.80 36.89 37.95 2.9 exceptional rate 30.40 49.19 50.60 2.9 17. Housing benefit6 Needs allowance single 31.05 n/a 48.10 n/a couple/single parent 45.55 n/a 70.85 n/a single handicapped 34.60 n/a 53.65 n/a couple—one handicapped 49.10 n/a 76.40 n/a couple—both handicapped 50.80 n/a 79.00 n/a pensioner addition n/a n/a 0.85 n/a dependent child addition 7.70 n/a 14.60 n/a 18. Child dependency addition with short-term benefits7 1.70 2.75 — — with long-term benefits 7.10 11.49 8.05 -29.9 19. Death grant (lump sum) 30.00 48.54 30.00 -38.2 Notes: All benefits are weekly rates unless otherwise stated. 1 Replaced non-contributory invalidity pension and housewives' non-contributory invalidity pension. 2 April 1979 rates. 3 These are not rates of benefit. 4 Real values calculated using retail price index less housing costs,the normal index for this benefit. 5 Supplementary benefit scale rates for children were restructured in 1980. Previously there had been separate rates for children aged 11–12 and under 5. 6 Housing benefit was fully introduced only in April 1983. The 1979 figures are the most closely comparable figures from the previous rent and rates rebate scheme. They are not rates of benefit. The way in which the housing benefits need allowances are constructed means that a real-terms comparison of their 1979 and 1986 levels using the RPI is inappropriate. A full explanation of the reasons for this is given in the reply to the hon. Member for Pontefract and Castleford, on 4 December 1986,at columns 729–730. 7 Child dependency additions with short-terms benefits were abolished in 1984.
§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will state the total number of supplementary benefit recipients and the total cost for each year since 1979.
§ Mr. LyellThe information is as follows:
Supplementary benefit recipients Cost Date Number (thousands) Financial Year £ (millions) November 1979 2,850 1979–80 2,436 December 1980 3,120 1980–81 3,172 December 1981 3,720 1981–82 4,840 December 1982 4,270 1982–83 6,261 December 1983 4,350 1983–84 25,592 December 19841 4,610 1984–85 6,472 1985–86 7,512 1 Latest available date. 2 Reduction due to introduction of housing benefit Sources: Annual statistical enquiries.
Government expenditure White Papers.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many chronically sick and disabled people are claiming unemployment benefit.
§ Mr. MajorTo be entitled to unemployment benefit a person must, among other things, be capable of work. A chronically sick person should therefore receive incapacity benefits rather than unemployment benefit as should a disabled person whose disability makes him incapable of work. Statistics are not held on the number of disabled people who are capable of work and claiming unemployment benefit.