HC Deb 16 December 1999 vol 341 cc268-9W
Mr. Kidney

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will review the levels of capital and income disregards for the benefits for which his Department is responsible [102510]

Mr. Bayley

We continue to keep the levels of capital and income disregards in all income-related benefits under review as part of the welfare reform and modernisation programme that the Department is currently undertaking.

Mr. Kidney

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he (a) has made and (b) intends to carry out of the contribution that a raising of the levels of capital and income disregards for benefits paid out of public funds would make to the Government's policy of reducing poverty. [102512]

Mr. Bayley

We outlined our commitment to looking at ways to better reward savers in the Pensions Green Paper with a view to ensuring that the least well-off pensioners share in the rising national prosperity. We will bring forward our proposals later in this Parliament.