§ Mrs. FyfeTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if a person of working age, who has been refused incapacity benefit, will no longer have 20 per cent. deducted from the personal allowance element of his income support, pending the outcome of his appeal to the ITS. [73758]
§ Angela EagleThere are no plans to change the Income Support rules.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what the rates of income support for pensioners would be in(a) 1998–99 and (b) 1999–2000, if they had been increased in (i) April 1998 and (ii) 1999 in line with average earnings. [73395]
§ Mr. TimmsThe information is in the table.
Weekly rates of Income Support based on average earnings uprating from April 1998 £ April 1998 April 1999 (a) April 1999 (b) Single aged 60–74 71.90 73.60 75.10 Single aged 75–79 74.20 75.95 77.55 Single aged 80+ 79.10 81.00 82.65 Couple one/both 60–74 111.60 114.40 116.65 Couple one/both 75–79 114.80 117.55 120.00 Couple one/both 80+ 120.30 123.30 125.75 Notes:
1. Average earnings growth has been estimated at 4.5 per cent. in each year, based on Treasury estimates.
2. In column (a) the rates for April 1999 are based on uprating the actual rates which applied in 1998 by average earnings. In column (b), the rates for 1999–2000 are based on the rates for 1998–99 uprated by average earnings, and therefore show the cumulative effect of two successive earnings upratings.
3. The weekly rates in the table are the total of the appropriate personal allowance and pensioner premium before any adjustments for other income, and do not include any additional amounts which may apply in a particular case.
4. In the case of a couple, the age of the elder partner determines the rate which applies.