§ Mr. FoulkesTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the percentage by which the state retirement pension and income support were uprated in April 1995 and will be uprated in April 1996; and if he will provide figures on(a) the amount and (h) the percentage that the applicable amount for income support for a single pensioner aged under 75 years has changed relative to the level of the state retirement pension. [18337]
§ Mr. HealdThe removal of payment of gratuities for service-attributable noise-induced sensorineural hearing loss of less than 20 per cent. was part of a package of measures which included an increase from April 1993 of up to £5 a week above the rate of inflation for all war disablement pensioners. The most severely disabled gained most. Almost 265,000 war pensioners are now gaining from this increase at an estimated annual cost of over £26 million. The package was therefore of considerable benefit to the disabled ex-service community.
283WThis matter has been discussed on several occasions at meetings between Ministers and representatives of ex-service organisations, including the Royal British Legion. I see no point in a further meeting at this time.