§ Mr. CallaghanTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement about the level of benefits paid to people in residential nursing homes.
§ Mr. BurtA total of 273,000 people receive help through income support with residential care and nursing home fees at a cost of £2.5 billion1. This compares with 12,000 people who received such help in 1979 at a cost of £10 million.
Since April 1985 practically all the income support limits for residential care and nursing homes have been increased in real terms. The limit for elderly people in residential care homes increased by 13 per cent. in real terms and the limit for elderly people in nursing homes by 36 per cent.
These limits are reviewed each year as part of the general benefit uprating exercise and an announcement will be made as usual later this year.
1Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiry: Residential Care and Nursing Home Report November 1992.