HC Deb 15 January 1990 vol 165 cc113-4W
Mr. Ashley

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment his Department is making of the adequacy of disability benefits to meet daily living costs and extra costs of disability.

Mr. Scott

The findings of the surveys of disability carried out by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys (OPCS) between 1985 and 1988 clearly showed that in general the benefits paid to meet the extra costs of disability, attendance allowance and mobility allowance, are more than sufficient to cover the average extra costs of disability. The initial results of a follow-up to the OPCS surveys in the family expenditure survey confirm these findings. The OPCS surveys provided comparisons between the incomes of disabled people and their counterparts in the general population but did not assess the adequacy of income maintenance benefits paid to disabled people.

Mr. Ashley

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether, in the last six months, his Department has issued revised guidelines to doctors assessing fitness for work of people in receipt of disability benefits.

Mr. Scott

No.

Mr. Meacher

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he has any plans to revise restart interviews, availability for work tests, and actively seeking work requirements, as they affect people who receive benefit as a result of their disablement.

Mr. Scott

Payment of most benefits for the disabled does not require disabled people to be available for, or actively seeking, employment. In the case of unernployment benefit and income support on the basis of unemployment, regulations provide for full account to be taken of any limitations imposed by disablement. We have no plans to alter this approach. My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Employment has responsibility for the administration of the law governing claims for unemployed people, including the conduct of restart interviews.

Mr. Meacher

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if, pursuant to his statement on benefits for the disabled of 10 January, the new disablement employment credit will be available to all those who gain low-paid work after claiming a state benefit relating to their disablement; if there will be a child care addition; and if those on the benefit will receive additions for work expenses related to their disablement.

Mr. Scott

The Government propose that the new disability employment credit to be introduced in April 1992 will be available to people receiving the new disability allowance or to those who were receiving invalidity benefit, severe disablement allowance or the income support or housing benefit disability premium before starting work. Claimants will also need to satisfy a doctor that they are only partially capable of work. Precise details of the new benefit are still to be considered.