HC Deb 21 November 1990 vol 181 cc131-3W
Mrs. Ann Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people are in receipt of attendance allowance, mobility allowance and invalid care allowance in(a) the Kirklees district and (b) England and Wales.

Mr. Scott

The numbers of people receiving each benefit in Kirklees district could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The latest available information about people receiving these benefits in England and Wales is in the table:

Number
Attendance Allowance (as at 31 March 1989) 1695,000
Mobility Allowance as at 15 November 1990) 539,000
Invalid Care Allowance (Scotland, England and Wales)2 (as at 31 October 1990) 132,000
1 Statistical estimate.
2 Separate figures for England and Wales are not available.

Mrs. Ann Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will provide details for the Kirklees metropolitan district of the number of people currently, most recent figures, in receipt of each of the following benefits: (a) attendance allowance, (b) mobility allowance and (c) invalid care allowance, and an estimate of what level of take-up the above figures represent in terms of entitlement to benefit for the Kirklees district.

Mr. Scott

This information is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Harry Barnes

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list all forms of benefit that can be obtained through his Department; when each form of benefit was first introduced; and whether each form of benefit was introduced as an entirely new benefit or whether it superseded earlier benefit payments.

Mrs. Gillian Shephard

[holding answer 15 November 1990]: The information requested is in the table. The dates given are those of introduction of the benefit in its original form and it should be noted that many have since been modified.

Benefit Introduced Superseded
Attendance Allowance December 71 New
Child Benefit April 77 Family Allowance
Christmas Bonus December 72 New
Community Charge Benefit1 April 90 Rate Rebate (England and Wales) Community Charge Rebate (Scotland)
Constant Attendance Allowance July 48 New
Exceptionally Severe Disablement Allowance July 48 New
Family Credit April 88 Family Income Supplement
Guardians Allowance July 48 Orphan's Pension
Housing Benefit—1 Rent Rebates November 82— April 83 Local Authorities local schemes and supplementary benefit provision
Rent Allowance as above as above
Income Support April 88 Supplementary Benefit
Industrial Death Benefit2 July 48 New
Industrial Disablement Benefit July 48 New
Invalid Care Allowance July 76 New
Invalidity Benefit September 71 New
Maternity Allowance3 July 48 New
Mobility Allowance January 76 New
One Parent Benefit4 April 77 Child Interim Benefit
Pneumoconiosis, byssinosis and miscellaneous diseases benefit5 March 52 New
Reduced Earnings Allowance October 86 Special Hardship Allowance
Remission of certain NHS charges and payment of travelling expenses to hospital for NHS treatment on income grounds6 April 88 Replaced a similar scheme but with changes in the basis of assessment and with centralized administration
Retirement Allowance April 88 Reduced Earnings Allowance for those of pension age who retired
Retirement Pension—
Category A and B July 48 New
Category C July 70 New
Category D July 71 New
Age addition July 71 New
Graduated retirement benefit7 July 61 New
Benefit Introduced Superseded
Additional pension (SERPS), payable also with widow's benefits (except Widow's Payment) April 79 New
Severe Disablement Allowance November 84 Non Contributory Invalidity Pension (NCIP)
Sickness Benefit3 July 48 New
Social Fund—
Funeral Payments April 87 Supplementary Benefit Single Payment
Maternity Payments April 87 as above
Community Care Grants April 88 New
Budgeting Loans April 88 Supplementary Benefit Single Payments
Crisis Loans April 88 Supplementary Benefit Urgent payments
Cold Weather Payments November 88 Exceptionally Severe Weather Payments
Travel Grants, Settlement or Resettlement Loans September 90 New
Statutory Maternity Pay 8 April 87 Maternity allowance for most employed women.
Statutory Sick Pay 8 April 83 Sickness benefit for most employed people
Unemployment Benefit 9 1911 New
Vaccine damage payments 10 March 79 New
War Disablement Pension February 17 New
War Widow's Pension February 17 New
Widow's Pension July 48 New
Widow's Payment April 88 Widow's allowance
Widowed Mother's Allowance July 48 New
Workmen's Compensation Supplement July 51 New

Notes:

1 Paid and administered by local authorities on behalf of the Department of Social Security (DSS).

2 Not payable in respect of deaths on or after 11 April 1988.

3 Superseded benefits payable under the various National Health Insurance Acts.

4 Named Child Benefit Increase prior to 1 April 1981.

5 Miscellaneous diseases first included in November 1954.

6 Administered by DSS on behalf of the Department of Health.

7 Payable only to people with accrued rights derived from payments to the graduated pension scheme from 1961 to 1975.

8 Statutory Sick Pay and Statutory Maternity Allowance are administered and paid by employers. Sickness benefit and Maternity Allowance are still available for those who do not qualify.

9 Paid and administered by the Department of Employment.

10 Paid via the Department of Health until 1982 when responsibility passed to DSS.