Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Severe Weather Payments – 25 November 1986

Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Severe Weather Payments on 25th November 1986.

Mr. Andrew Bowden Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will reconsider his decision to include a £500 capital limit in the criteria of eligibility for exceptionally severe weather payments.

Mr. Major No, the £500 capital rule is in line with that for other single payments.

Mr. Flannery Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether the new severe weather payments will be made to all on supplementary benefit.

Mr. Major Those who will be eligible, subject to the normal £500 capital rule, will be householders where there is a member of the family as assessed for supplementary benefit purposes who is aged 65 or over, chronically sick or disabled, or aged under two.

Mr. Madden Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what estimate he has made of the number of payments of severe weather allowance which would have been made in 1985–86 using the new criteria recently proposed by the Government.

Mr. Major It is not possible with hindsight to make a valid estimate since amounts paid would depend on claimants’ capital holding and take-up in the affected area.

Mr. McCrindle Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the new scheme for severe weather payments.

Mr. Major I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to my hon. Friend, the Member for Dumfries (Sir H. Monro), on 20 November at columns 326-27.