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Disabled Persons

Volume 981: debated on Tuesday 25 March 1980

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asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what will be the total cost in the current year of the improvements for disabled people listed by the Minister with special responsibilities for the disabled in his speech to the House on 19 March, Official Report, c. 507–8; and what is his estimate of the total cost to his Department in the current year of the non-contributory invalidity pension, including the housewives' noncontributory invalidity pension, the invalid care allowance and the mobility allowance.

In the current year, the estimated cost of the recent tax relief for war widows is £6 million and of non-contributory invalidity pension, including that for housewives, invalid care allowance and mobility allowance together is £169 million. It is not possible, without incurring disproportionate expense, to arrive at an accurate costing for the other three improvements which I listed. In the present economic climate it is not open to us to make substantial improvements in the help available to disabled people. We shall, however, make what limited progress is possible.