§ Mr. RoweTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) whether the personal allowance element of pensions paid to elderly persons in hospitals, nursing homes and residential care homes is intended for the personal use of pensioners for the purchase of items not provided by the establishment, such as clothing and stationery;
(2) what evidence he has that some residential institutions include the personal allowance of pensions in the minimum charge demanded of the pensioner.
§ Mr. Peter LloydThe level of fees in an independent residential care home or nursing home is a matter between the resident and the proprietor and depends on the level of services to be provided. The income support personal expenses allowance is intended to cover day-to-day living expenses but claimants are, of course, free to spend this money in any way they choose.