HC Deb 05 February 1991 vol 185 cc134-5W
Mr. Allen

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much income support has been paid to claimants in(a) private nursing home care, (b) private residential home care, (c) public nursing home care and (d) public residential care homes in the last 10 years (i) in total and (ii) as an average per claimant.

Miss Widdecombe

The annual expenditure and the average expenditure per claimant for private residential care and nursing homes since 1981 for people claiming income support/supplementary benefit are in the table:

(i) Disablement Benefit Claims—Great Britain—1980–89

Year Total claims (thousands)
1989 102
1988 87
1987 100
1986 122
1985 119
1984 107
1983 121

Year Total claims (thousands)
1982 115
1981 116
1980 126

After 1986, claims were necessary to establish entitlement to Reduced Earnings Allowance where Disablement Benefit is itself not payable because assessed disablement is less than 14 per cent.

(ii) Information on the number of claims accepted is not available.

The figures below are for the number of initial assessments of disablement in the year they were first paid. Initial awards of gratuities are available until 1986–87 only.

Initial Disablement Assessments
Year Disablement Gratuities (thousands) Disablement Pensions (thousands)
1989–90 n/a n/a
1988–89 n/a 7
1987–88 n/a 10
1986–87 6 5
1985–86 53 6
1984–85 53 6
1983–84 58 6
1982–83 56 7
1981–82 65 6
1980–81 65 7

Figure for 1986–87 covers the period 1 October 1986 to 4 April 1987.

(iii) Total benefit expenditure estimates for disablement benefit only are not available. The figures below include expenditure on reduced earnings allowance.

Industrial injuries benefit expenditure 1980–81 to 1989–90
Year £ (million)
1989–90 470
1988–89 451
1987–88 453
1986–87 440
1985–86 407
1984–85 381
1983–84 369
1982–83 343
1981–82 315
1980–81 282

Disablement benefit claims received in Nottingham offices
Year Total claims1
1990–912 693
1989–90 966
1988–89 1,052
1987–88 1,207
1986–87 1,647
1985–86 1,786
1984–85 1,486
1 Offices at Castlegate, David Lane, Shakespeare Street and Station Street.
2 Figures to December 1990 only.

Note: Figures of claims made are retained at local offices for only six years. Figures relating to claims accepted and the amount paid in disablement benefit at Nottingham offices are not available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.