HC Deb 04 April 1990 vol 170 cc681-2W
Mr. Andrew Bowden

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what evidence is available to him on the extent to which claimants in private and voluntary residential and nursing homes throughout the country are able to meet the fees in full from available income support;

(2) what is the source of his independent research on costs and charges in private and voluntary nursing and residential care homes which he takes into account when setting income support limits; and if he will place copies of such evidence in the Library.

Mrs. Gillian Shephard

Many interested individuals and organisations make representations and submit evidence on costs and charges in homes. The authors are free to publish this if they wish. The Department has commissioned a number of studies, the best known of which was by Ernst and Whinney, published in 1986. Statistical information from the Department's own local offices is also used and this is published where practicable in aggregated form in response to questions from hon. Members.

Mr. Colvin

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the total number of persons living in residential and nursing homes and currently receiving income support.

Mrs. Gillian Shephard

At August 1989, the latest date for which figures are available, it is estimated that there were around 117,000 people in independent residential care homes and around 56,000 in nursing homes receiving income support.

Mr. Meacher

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many and what proportion of the residents of nursing homes and residential care homes in receipt of income support(a) receive the full cost charged by their home and (b) receive income support payments below the charge levied by their home.

Mrs. Gillian Shephard

[holding answer 6 March 1990]: The most reliable estimates are available only in respect of all claimants in homes. The proportion of claimants whose fees were at or below the income support limits for the year ended August 1989, the latest period for which figures are available, was just over half. The average number of claimants during that period was 166,000, rounded to the nearest 1,000.