§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to the answer of 23 April,Official Report, column 36, on residential homes, if he will make available such information as is available to him on this subject.
§ Mrs. Gillian ShephardThe average total number of income support recipients in residential care homes and nursing homes whose recorded fees were below the appropriate income support limit for the period November 1988 to August 1989 was 22,000 rounded to the nearest thousand. This represents just over one eighth of the average total claimants in such homes in that period.
§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many claims for income support were received during the last financial year from residents of care homes which had been transferred from local authority to independent management or ownership;
(2) what guidance has been issued by his Department as to the eligibility for income support of residents in care homes managed by charitable trusts set up by local authorities.
§ Mr. ScottEligibility for income support is defined by regulations, which provide that benefit is available in58W respect of fees, up to certain limits, to residents of registered residential care homes and certain other types of homes. Independent adjudication officers are provided with guidance on the interpretation of the regulations by the chief adjudication officer in the adjudication officers' guide, but no specific guidance has been given on this point. Information on numbers of people living in transferred homes who have claimed income support is not available centrally.