§ Sir Ian GilmourTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will describe the salient characteristics of that group of severely disabled people which he considers do not fit naturally into the new income support scheme; and what action he will take to protect their benefit levels.
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§ Mr. ScottUnder the income support proposals, disabled claimants will receive a disability premium or higher pensioner premium of £13.05 for a single person or £18.60 for a couple. In addition, if the disabled person is getting attendance allowance, is living independently and no one is getting invalid care allowance for caring for them, they will be entitled to a severe disability premium of £24.75. The small number of disabled people whose income support entitlement is less than their supplementary benefit entitlement at the point of change will have their benefit level maintained. Furthermore, those in receipt of a domestic assistance addition of £10 or more will have that addition maintained in real terms unless it is more than covered by their entitlement to the severe disability premium. The very small group of severely disabled people with whom we are concerned are those new claimants who claim after April 1988 and who may need extensive help to maintain themselves in the community.