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Benefits

Volume 83: debated on Monday 22 July 1985

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asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what arrangements he has made to provide people whose claims for social security benefits are refused with the addresses of local agencies offering advice and information about social security benefits.

I refer my hon. Friend to my hon. Friend's reply to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Erdington (Mr. Corbett) on 17 July.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the total value per week to a disabled married claimant in 1985–86 (i) on the ordinary rate and (ii) on the long-term rate of (a) the disablement heating addition and (b) the laundry and special diet allowance, assuming additional resources to cover 20 per cent. of average rate bills were met on supplementary benefit.

On the same basis as my reply to the hon. Member on 3 July, at column 182, the implied amount for a disabled married claimant receiving the three additions named would be as follows:

Ordinary scale rateLong-term scale rate
££
54·8665·41

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the amount currently being spent on unemployment pay and on the various classes of benefit at an annual rate;(2) what is the current cost per week of benefits of all kinds paid to persons who are unemployed and their dependants.

The estimated cost of social security benefits paid in respect of unemployment in 1985–86 is £6·4 billion; equivalent to an average weekly expenditure of £123 million. The annual figure is made up of £1,645 million in unemployment benefit, about £3,850 million in supplementary benefit and about £950 million in housing benefit.