§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to make adequate provision for those who qualify for residential care allowance-mental handicap rates after the introduction of the care in the community changes planned for 1993.
§ Miss WiddecombeWe intend to preserve the present scheme of special income support limits for existing claimants who are resident in most homes when the new funding structure is introduced on 1 April 1993. As now, under those arrangements there will be limits to the level of benefit available for different types of care. Subject to the normal qualifying conditions, those whose fees are at or below the limit will have their charges met in full. Existing arrangements for reviewing the level of the limits will continue.
§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate how much it would increase public expenditure totals in his Department's budgets for expenditure in the year 1992–93 if he were to increase the residential care allowance mental handicap levels of income support available to people with learning difficulties in residential homes by 15 per cent.
§ Miss WiddecombeExpenditure would depend on the number of claimants in receipt of the mental handicap84W limit and the level of that limit at the time. Information about expected numbers of income support customers as well as expenditure, is published in the public expenditure White Paper (Cm 1014). It has never been the practice to make separate forecasts about any individual group within the planning totals.