HC Deb 24 January 1995 vol 253 cc133-5W
Mr. William O'Brien

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what amount of benefit is payable to a recipient with no children at school and a wife under 60 years under the new incapacity benefit scheme.

Mr. Hague

The basic rate of incapacity benefit will be payable where there is no entitlement to a child dependency increase, or the person cannot be treated as entitled, and the spouse is under age 60.

For the first 28 weeks of sickness the basic rate is £44.40, from week 29 to week 52 it is £52.50, and from week 53 it is £58.85.

People with a terminal illness, or who are receiving the highest rate of the care component of disability living allowance, will be able to get the long-term rate of £58.85 from week 29.

An age addition may be payable at one or two rates depending on the age of the person when his incapacity for work began. If his incapacity began before age 35, the age addition is £12.40. Where the incapacity began when aged 35 to 44, the age addition is £6.20. No age addition

Mr. Roger Evans

Residential allowance was introduced on 1 April 1993. Most people who were in residential care and nursing homes on 31 March 1993 have preserved rights to the higher levels of income support and would not be entitled to residential allowance. Information is not available for those who subsequently claimed residential allowance because they do not have preserved rights to the higher levels of income support.

Ms Jowell

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many applications for disability living allowance were(a) received and (b) approved between (i) March to October 1993, (ii) November 1993 to March 1994 and (iii) April 1994 to October 1994; and how many in each case were from people whose principal disability was (1) physical and (2) mental illness.

Mr. Hague

The information is not available in the format requested. The information available is in the tables.

is payable if the person is aged 45 or over when the incapacity began.

Note:

The rates given are subject to parliamentary approval.

Mr. William O'Brien

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make it his policy to uprate annually all benefits that claimants of the incapacity benefit may be entitled to; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Hague

Section 150 of the Social Security Administration Act 1992 requires the Secretary of State to review annually the rates of incapacity benefit.

Mr. William O'Brien

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the difference in the payments made to claimants under the invalidity benefit and the new incapacity benefits scheme for a person aged 30, 40 or 50 years where there is(a) and adult dependant under 60 years and (b) a dependant over 60 years.

Mr. Hague

The information is in the table. Some further assumptions have been made to support the examples, as explained in the notes.

Age 30 £ Age 40 £ Age 50 £
Invalidity benefit 106.50 101.90 98.00
Long-term incapacity benefit
Spouse under 60 71.25 65.05 58.85
Spouse 60 + 106.50 100.30 94.10

Notes:

  1. 1. In the case of invalidity benefit, the spouse's age is not a relevant factor.
  2. 2. Assumes spouse does not have earnings/occupational pension in excess of relevant earnings limit and does not receive a benefit in own right.
  3. 3. Assumes no earnings-related additional pension payable with invalidity benefit.
  4. 4. In the case of incapacity benefit, an increase is payable for a spouse aged 60 and for an adult dependant if the claimant is entitled or treated as entitled to a child dependancy increase, regardless of adult dependant's age.

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