HC Deb 19 October 1998 vol 317 c969W
Mr. Mullin

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when the war pension disablement disregard was set at £10; and what it would be at current prices if it had been increased in line with inflation since then. [55488]

Mr. Timms

The war pension disregard was set at £10 in April 1990. It would now be worth £12.75 if it had been uprated by the RPI. However, as the war pension disregard is applied to earnings related benefits it would, therefore, have been updated by ROSSI and now be worth £13.15.

The £10 disregard is not the only disregard war pensioners may receive when claiming art income related benefit. There is also a total disregard of the whole of the supplementary pension of £54.70 per week awarded to "pre 1973" war widows (widows whose late husband's military service was completed before 31 March 1973 and who are not entitled to an attributable widow's pension from the Ministry of Defence), as well as a disregard of any mobility supplement and payment of war disablement pension based on the need for attendance.