§ Mr. GrocottTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will provide as much information as possible which does not breach commercial confidentiality about his Department's expenditure on commercial television advertising for each of the past five years.
§ Mr. Mellor[holding answer 15 May 1989]: The figures are as follows:
§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people have no other source of income other than income support.
§ Mr. Peter LloydThe latest estimate is that some 725,000 single people and 43,000 couples drawing income support have no other source of income, (including other social security benefits).
§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what tests his Department carries out to see if it is possible for income support claimants to survive on the various levels of support where no other income is received.
§ Mr. Peter LloydInformation is available from a variety of sources, including the "Annual Statistical Enquiry", the "Family Expenditure Survey", the "General Household Survey", individual research studies carried out over a period of time, and representations from outside organisations. It is also relevant that the real value of the benefit has increased very substantially over the period since 1948.
§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he has any proposals to increase any of the three grades of income support.
§ Mr. Peter LloydThe personal allowance for certain 16 to 17-year-olds who, of necessity, have to live away from home was increased from 10 July, and there will be increases this October in the premiums for pensioners over 75, and for disabled pensioners. Further increases in the income support rates will be considered later this year as part of the annual uprating.
§ Dr. Goodson-WickesTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he has any plans to increase the level of income support for people in nursing homes and residential care.
§ Mr. Peter LloydThe maximum amounts payable under income support to people in independent residential care and nursing homes are reviewed annually at the same time as the general uprating of social security benefits.
§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what action is taken by his Department when 433W the nearest relatives of an income support claimant over pension age in residential or nursing care refuse requests to top up the claimant's fees for care where the claimant's total income does not meet the full cost of care;
(2) which agency is responsible for meeting the difference between the fees for private residential and nursing care and the total income of an income support claimant over pensionable age when his or her resources fall short of the costs of residence.
§ Mr. Peter LloydI refer the hon. Member to my reply to him on 4 July at column140. Local authorities can only meet the full cost of care for people over pension age, they cannot "top-up" income support. The funding arrangements for new residents of homes are of course to change following the announcement on the funding of community care made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health on 12 July at columns 975–79.
§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his policy regarding the payment of income support for longer than six months to a claimant in private residential or nursing home care when the claimant's house is for sale but has not been sold, and where the claimant has no resources to meet the costs of the home.
Budgeting loans and community care grants nationally, regional and for local offices by client group 1988–89 Per cent. (00) (01) (02) (03) (04) (05) (06) (07) (08) (09) (10) (11) (12) (13) (14) (15)1 Total awards Great Britain Budgeting Loans 0.5 0.3 0.6 3.9 0.4 3.6 3.6 43.9 0.7 2.1 16.7 18.8 1.0 3.8 0.0 n.a. 504,629 Community Care Grants 0.4 4.5 3.7 14.3 0.9 3.4 10.0 25.2 0.7 1.5 9.5 16.4 2.0 6.3 0.0 1.1 152,574 North East Region Budgeting Loans 0.3 0.3 0.7 4.1 0.4 2.7 3.0 42.8 0.8 2.2 20.9 17.6 0.9 3.3 0.0 n.a. 101,558 Community Care Grants 0.4 3.7 3.7 14.5 10 3.2 9.3 26.2 0.7 1.3 11.7 16.3 1.8 5.9 0.0 0.8 278,824 Eston ILO Budgeting Loans 0.0 0.2 0.8 2.0 0.3 3.1 4.1 52.0 0.3 1.1 25.6 7.5 0.6 2.5 0.0 n a. 1,316 Community Care Grants 0.3 1.3 2.3 5.8 0.0 2.3 5.8 28.2 0.6 3.2 30.2 14.0 0.6 4.9 0.0 0.3 319 Hartlepool ILO Budgeting Loans 0.6 0.3 0.7 3.1 0.6 2.5 3.4 40.3 0.3 2.4 26.8 15.4 1.4 2.3 0.0 n.a. 1,662 Community Care Grants 1.3 3.0 1.7 8.3 0.3 3.0 6.0 30.3 0.3 1.3 18.3 18.0 0.3 4.3 0.0 2.7 321 Middlesbrough ILO Budgeting Loans 0.2 0.5 0.8 3.6 0.6 2.5 3.3 45.9 0.6 2.1 24.2 12.8 0.6 2.2 0.0 n.a. 4,023 Community Care Grants 0.0 3.6 4.1 12.0 1.3 3.7 8.0 32.1 0.4 1.2 9.4 16.4 1.4 5.2 0.0 1.2 951 Redcar ILO Budgeting Loans 0.1 0.0 0.5 4.1 0.9 12.0 2.3 37.0 0.9 1.5 20.6 16.6 0.7 2.9 0.0 n.a. 1,369 Community Care Grants 0.0 3.0 3.6 14.3 2.4 9.6 7.5 22.4 2.4 0.9 10.3 14.3 1.9 6.6 0.0 0.9 503 Stockton ILO Budgeting Loans 0.3 0.3 1.1 4.3 0.6 2.5 3.5 44.0 0.6 2.1 22.3 15.1 0.9 2.5 0.0 n.a. 2,720 Community Care Grants 0.3 3.2 4.0 11.2 0.9 3.6 6.4 36.5 0.3 1.4 11.9 13.9 1.1 4.2 0.0 1.3 799 1Key to client groups Code Meaning
00 unallocated or unidentified
01 over 80—with Income Support higher pensioner premium
02 aged 60–79—disabled with higher pensioner premium
03 aged 60–79—with ordinary pensioner premium, or over 60 without pensioner premium
04 lone parent with Income Support disability premium
05 family with disability premium
06 other with disability premium
07 lone parent without disability premium
08 signs at UBO quarterly with Income Support family premium
09 signs at UBO quarterly without family premium
10 signing unemployed or with training allowance with family premium
11 signing unemployed or with training allowance without family premium
12 others with family premium
13 others without family premium
14 involved in trade dispute
15 applicant not in receipt of Income Support—not applicable for budgeting loans
434W
§ Mr. Peter LloydIncome support can continue to be paid after 26 weeks, provided that the adjudication officer is satisfied that all reasonable steps to sell the property are being taken.
§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his policy regarding the realisation of the sale of the former home of an applicant for income support in private residential care where such a sale would render the resident's previous carer homeless, and where the carer is neither the partner of the claimant nor a relative over the age of 60 years, nor is incapacitated.
§ Mr. Peter LloydI refer the hon. Member to my reply to him on 4 July at columns139–40.