§ Mr. CorbynTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many dependent children and young persons in households in receipt of income support are currently in receipt of the disabled child premium on the grounds of (i) receipt of attendance allowance, (ii) receipt of mobility allowance and (iii) who are or have recently been registered as blind with the local authority;
(2) what percentage of all families in receipt of income support with dependent children and young persons those families in receipt of the disabled child premium form;
(3) how many claimants of income support receive the disabled child premium; how many supplementary benefit claimants received additional requirements in respect of dependent children in 1987–88; and what was the average weekly amount of these additions.
§ Mr. ScottThe information requested for supplementary benefit is not available and that for income support will not be available until later this year.
§ Mr. CorbynTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how his Department is monitoring the withdrawal of additional requirements, previously paid under the supplementary benefits system, where these meet the special needs of children with acute and chronic health conditions in families on income support with a view to extending the qualifying conditions for the disabled child premium.
§ Mr. ScottAdditional requirements ceased from April 1988 when the supplementary benefit scheme was replaced by income support. The impact of the reformed system is being monitored on all groups using information provided by local offices, from the management information system, from expenditure outturn figures and other statistical sources such as the annual statistical inquiry, and the quarterly statistical inquiries. In addition the disabled child premium will be studied in the light of the OPCS reports which deal specifically with disabled children.