HC Deb 02 March 1993 vol 220 cc112-4W
Mr. Milburn

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will provide a table showing(a) the number of income support claimants and (b) the value of total payments made to them for residential and nursing home costs by region for each year from 1982–83 at (i) cash prices and (ii) 1982–83 prices.

Mr. Burt

Such information as is available is in the table.

Income support expenditure-Residential care and nursing homes
Year Total numbers (thousands) Annual equivalent expenditure (£million)1 Annual equivalent expenditure (£million)
December 1982 16 39 39
December 1983 26 104 99
December 1984 42 200 182
December 1985 70 348 300
February 1986 90 459 396
May 1987 117 671 531
May 1988 147 878 649
May 1989 176 1,105 766
May 1990 189 1,270 814
May 1991 231 1,872 1,121
May 1982 270 2,460 1,409
1 Current prices.
2 1982–83 prices.

Notes:

1. The date in the year column is the enquiry point on which the actual figures are based.

2. The 1982–83 prices figures have been calculated by adjusting the actual figure by the average GDP deflator index for the year in which the enquiry fell.

3. The figures have been rounded to the nearest million.

Reliable data on a regional basis are not available.

Mr. Barnes

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many redundant workers have been refused income support within the past year under the deprivation of capital regulations after paying off part or all of their mortgage.

Mr. Burt

I understand from Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency, that the information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Byers

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what plans he has to reduce the amount of income support or unemployment benefit received by a young person or adult if they begin full time education;

(2) what plans he has to allow unemployed young people and adults to attend full-time education in the course of their choice and still receive income support or unemployment benefit.

Mr. Burt

We continue to be receptive to proposals to enable unemployed young persons and adults to receive education or training to enable them to take up employment. However, the social security system is not intended as a means of funding full-time education. Most full-time students are ineligible for income support, unemployment benefit and housing benefit. Students should look to the educational maintenance system of grants, top-up loans and access fund payments for their financial support.

Mr. Dewar

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the maximum weekly deductions from income support for water, overpayment, fines, poll tax arrears and fuel debt, expressed as deductions from income support rates for a single person aged over 25 years and a married couple, both over 25 years.

Mr. Burt

Regulations provide for a standard amount to be deducted from income support to repay arrears of housing costs, fuel, water, or fines. This is set at 5 per cent. of the personal allowance for a person aged 25 or over, currently £2.15 a week.

The standard deduction for recovery of an overpayment of benefit is set at three times 5 per cent. of the personal allowance for a person aged 25 or over—currently £6–45 a week—or, where fraud has been established, four times 5 per cent.—currently £8–60 a week.

The total amount which may be deducted to recover debt, including overpayments, may not exceed three times 5 per cent.—four times 5 per cent. where fraud has been established—of the income support personal allowance for a person aged 25 or over.

An additional £215 may be deducted for community charge debt or, where the court order is against a couple, 5 per cent. of the income support allowance for a married couple aged 18 or over—currently £3.35.

In addition, deductions may be made to cover current charges for fuel and water where, of course, the amount may vary from case to case.

Mr. Byers

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what additional costs would he incurred in allowing young people and adults to continue to receive income support or unemployment benefit whilst they are attending full-time education.

Mr. Burt

This information is not available. Changes in the benefit arrangements for full-time students made in 1990 were accompanied by enhanced support for students made available through the educational maintenance system. It is not, therefore, possible to provide reliable estimates of the cost of reintroducing income support or unemployment benefit.