The Rt. Hon. Sir John Major KG CH

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  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Income Support – 23 March 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Income Support on 23rd March 1987.

    Mr. McCrindle Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has received concerning the identification of an element equal to a person’s rates payment within income support; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Major We have received a number of representations on the effect on income support recipients of the proposal that people should pay a proportion of their general rates. Final decisions about the level of income support have not yet been taken.

    Mr. McCrindle Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what discussions he has had with local authority associations concerning the calculation of net income of people on income support; to what effect; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Major The housing benefit standing committee, which consists of representatives of the local authority associations and officials of the Department meets regularly. The committee commissioned a sub-group of its members to examine approaches to the calculation of net income for people receiving housing benefit under the reformed scheme. The sub-group met five times and produced a report setting out options for the treatment of net income. Draft regulations for the reformed scheme taking into account the majority preference for an actual net income approach, were issued to the local authority associations for formal consultation at the beginning of the year. The associations’ responses are being considered at present.

    Mr. McCrindle Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many representations he has received from local authorities seeking 100 per cent, assistance with rates for those who will receive income support, where the authorities meet spending targets set by the Government; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Major I am not aware of any representations specifically making this point. People whose local authorities keep spending down will benefit from having to make a lower contribution towards rates. An arrangement such as that set out in my hon. Friend’s question would not be in keeping with our objectives of greater accountability of local authorities to their electorates, equity between people on and off income support or living in different parts of the country, and operational simplicity.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Attendance Allowance – 23 March 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Attendance Allowance on 23rd March 1987.

    Mrs. Beckett Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what categories of disabled people his counsel informed the Court of Appeal might be able to claim attendance allowance as a result of the judgment of the court in the Moran case.

    Mr. Major In his address to the Court of Appeal following delivery of the judgment in the Moran case, counsel for the Secretary of State indicated that the judgment could affect the attendance allowance entitlement of people who suffer from epilepsy, diabetes, haemophilia, heart attacks and angina, or multi-sensory handicaps; elderly people who suffer attacks of confusion; and children who are mentally handicapped or hyperactive, or who suffer from asthma or cystic fibrosis.

    How the judgment might be applied is a matter for the independent Attendance Allowance Board, taking account of the references in the judgment to the importance of the facts of the individual case. We shall be considering our response to the judgment in the light of advice from the Board.

    Mrs. Beckett Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he is taking to ensure that disabled people who may be entitled to attendance allowance or to the higher rate of attendance allowance in the light of the judgment of the Court of Appeal in the Moran case receive the allowance to which they are entitled, and that arrears are paid in respect of any underpayment resulting from the interpretation of the law prior to that judgment.

    Mr. Major The application of the judgment is a matter for the independent Attendance Allowance Board who will be issuing guidelines to delegated medical practitioners. We are considering the questions which the hon. Member raises.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Diet Costs – 23 March 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Diet Costs on 23rd March 1987.

    Mr. Hume Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement regarding the calculation of the additional expense of whole diet costs in “S Manual” clause 4736 from 1980 onwards, indicating from what data base within the 1979 “Family Expenditure Survey” the indications on average expenditure on food for different age groups used in the calculations was derived.

    Mr. Major These figures are provided by the Chief Adjudication Officer as part of his guidance to the independent adjudication officers. I understand that the original figure of £9 quoted in 1981 as the average expenditure on food for an adult was derived from unpublished data from the 1979 “Family Expenditure Survey” in respect of single pensioners, married couple pensioners and single adults under 65 in the lowest 20 per cent, household income bracket.

    The figures in respect of children were based on a percentage of the relevant scale rates similar to that for adults. The figures have been increased in subsequent guidance in line with the food element of the retail prices index. They were last increased in November 1985 and will be increased again next month to coincide with the general uprating of benefits.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Benefits – 23 March 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Benefits on 23rd March 1987.

    Mr. Frank Field Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the cost of doubling child benefit (a) if the increase was offset against all other child additions for which claimants drawing social security benefits were entitled, (b) if it was offset, additionally, where the increase was larger than any child addition entitlement, against any supplementary benefit entitlement, (c) if it was further offset against any entitlement to national insurance benefits and (d) if the increase was taxed (i) at the rate for higher rate taxpayers at their marginal rate of tax and (ii) at the standard rate where this was applicable.

    Mr. Major Based on benefit rates coming into effect in April 1987, the approximate cost, in Great Britain, would be as follows:

    £ million

    (a) 3,850
    (b) 3,600
    (c) 3,500
    (d) (i) 3,350
    (d) (ii) 2,400

    These figures assume the accumulative effect of the offset measures specified. In addition there would be very substantial administrative costs.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Pensioners (Food Allocations) – 23 March 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Pensioners (Food Allocations) on 23rd March 1987.

    Mr. Lawrence Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will consider an additional page in the state pension book to enable an entry to be made to register that the pensioner has received his or her allocation of free European Community butter, cheese, meat, and so on.

    Mr. Major It is desirable to restrict entries in state pension order books to those necessary for the operation of the pension payment system. Entries in order books by other bodies could lead to confusion and difficulty. For this reason, it would not be appropriate to include an additional page to record receipt of food from the current Economic Community distribution scheme. Moreover, release of stocks of butter etc. from the short-term assistance scheme will terminate on 31 March.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Maternity and Funeral Payments – 20 March 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Maternity and Funeral Payments on 20th March 1987.

    Mr. Wood Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he will announce the arrangements for the introduction of maternity and funeral payments under the social fund following enactment on 17 March of the Social Fund (Maternity and Funeral Expenses) Act 1987.

    Mr. Major Regulations were laid before Parliament for this purpose yesterday.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Pensions – 20 March 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Pensions on 20th March 1987.

    Mr. Meacher Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has any plans to increase pensions in the light of the £6 million windfall in Government revenue.

    Mr. Major My right hon. Friend announced on 22 October 1986 that pensions would be increased by 2.1 per cent. from 6 April 1987, in line with the rise in prices over the appropriate period.

    Mrs. Beckett Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what will have been the fall in the real value of the basic retirement pension rate to be paid from 6 April as a result of pensions and other long-term benefits, including the long-term rate of supplementary benefit, not having been increased in line with the percentage rise in average earnings since November 1978; and what would be the cost in 1987-88 of using the rise in average earnings as the yardstick for pension increases rather than the retail price index.

    Mr. Major If the basic retirement pension and linked long-term benefits had been increased in line with the movement in average earnings (whole economy, seasonally adjusted) between November 1978 and September 1986, the end of the calculation period for the uprating taking place in April 1987, the pension at April would be £43.70 for a single person and £69.90 for a married couple. It is not possible to calculate changes in the real value at April until April retail price index figures are available. Prior to 1980, the long-term rate of supplementary benefit was not increased in relation to earnings, but by the same cash amount as the increase in retirement pension.

    If pensions and linked long-term benefits were increased to these amounts in April 1987, and if supplementary pensions and the long-term rate of supplementary allowance for recipients of long-term contributory benefits were increased by the same cash amount, the additional cost in 1987-88 would be about £2 billion above that already provided for. No change in the level of housing benefit needs allowances has been assumed.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Severe Weather Payments – 20 March 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Severe Weather Payments on 20th March 1987.

    Mr. Gordon Brown Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the numbers in Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy district social security offices who have received exceptionally severe weather allowances in the current year.

    Mr. Major I shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Board and Lodging Charges – 20 March 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Board and Lodging Charges on 20th March 1987.

    Mr. Ray Powell Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether special consideration is being given, in connection with proposed changes in legislation for helping people on low incomes with board and lodging charges, to the position of women and children who because of violence in the family home are forced to seek accommodation at women’s aid refuges.

    Mr. Major A wide range of interested organisations have responded to the consultative paper on proposals for help with board and lodging charges under the reformed social security scheme. We are giving close consideration to the points that have been raised, including the position of people living in women’s aid refuges.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Attendance Allowance – 19 March 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Attendance Allowance on 19th March 1987.

    Mr. Wareing Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what changes in the payment of the higher rate of attendance allowance he plans in view of the Court of Appeal judgment in the case of Mrs. Dorothy Moran; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Major The wider application of the Appeal Court judgment in Mrs. Moran’s case, and in particular the court’s interpretation of the “continual supervision” test, is a matter for the Independent Attendance Allowance Board. We shall be considering the judgment in the light of advice from the board.