§ Mr. Battleasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many single parent families live on or below supplementary benefit level in Leeds, West; and what proportion of single parent families in Leeds, West this represents;
(2) how many people of pensionable age in Leeds, West are on or below supplementary benefit level; and what proportion of people of pensionable age they represent.
§ Mr. ScottI regret that statistically reliable figures cannot be provided in the manner requested.
§ Mr. Tony Lloydasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a breakdown of current times from the lodging of an appeal against refusal of supplementary benefit single payment to the appeal being heard by the Social Security Tribunal for the different tribunal locations in England and Wales.
§ Mr. PortilloNational administrative statistics of social security appeals are not disaggregated for localities smaller than a social security region.
In the quarter ending 31 December 1986 (the latest period for which statistics are available) the average number of weeks from lodgement of a single payment appeal to hearing was as follows:—
Social Security Region Number of Weeks Northern Eastern 11.5 London North 14.1 London South 18.8 Wales and South Western 11.7 Midlands 12.5 North Western 11.4 Great Britain 12.4
§ Mr. Altonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the total expenditure on supplementary benefit for each year since 1979.
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§ Mr. ScottThe information requested is as follows:
Supplementary benefit expenditure. Great Britain £ million Year Cash Expenditure 1979–80 2.436 1980–81 3.172 1981–82 4.840 1982–83 6.261 1983–84 15.592 1984–85 6.472 1985–86 7.512 21986–87 8.022 1 The fall between 1982–83 and 1983–84 reflects the introduction of housing benefit; in 1982–83 and earlier years the housing requirements of supplementary benefit recipients living in local authority housing or in privately rented accommodation were met by supplementary benefit. From November 1982 some, and from April 1983 all, such people had those requirements met by housing benefit. 2 Estimated outturn; final figures are not yet available.
§ Mr. Bowisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the reasons for the pocket money differential in supplementary benefit payments to long term patients in mental hospitals and to boarders in residential care accommodation of £7.90 and £11.50 per week, respectively; and if he will explain how these figures are calculated.
§ Mr. Portillo[pursuant to his reply, 23 July 1987]: The pocket money allowance for people in hospital is currently £7.90 and this represents 20 per cent. of the basic retirement pension. The personal expenses allowance for people in residential care and nursing homes is £9.25. For people in ordinary board and lodging and hostels, there are two rates of personal expenses; the short term rate of £10.00 and the long term rate of £11.15.
The personal expenses rate for people in residential care and nursing homes was introduced in 1985 and it was pitched roughly midway between the hospital pocket money allowance (and the personal expenses allowance for people in local authority residential accommodation which is at the same rate) and the personal expenses allowance for ordinary board and lodging. This reflects the fact that people in residential care and nursing homes tend to have fewer incidental expenses than people in ordinary board and lodging but more than people in hospital.