To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the annual change in the amount of income support payable to a single pensioner with savings of £5,000, £8,000 or £8,100 in 1995–96 if the capital limits had been raised since 1986 in line with (a) prices and (b) average earnings. [39656]
The information is not available in the format requested. However, we are able to give figures showing the change in the amount of tariff income brought to account, as a result of the capital limits being uprated by (a) the retail prices index and (b) average earnings since 1988. The estimated changes in tariff income are set out in the table:
| Amount of capital held £ | Change in tariff income under capital limits uprated by (a) prices £ | Change in tariff income under capital limits uprated by (b) earnings £ |
| 5,000 | 5 | 7 |
| 8,000 | 5 | 7 |
| 8,100 | 16 | 14 |
Notes:
1. The capital limits of £3,000 and £6,000 have been uprated by (a) the retail prices index, and (b) average earnings from 1988 to 1995–96 prices, and not 1986. The question has been answered in this form because income support was not in place until 1988. No account has been taken of governmental increases to the limits since 1988.
2. For cases on income support with capital held below the current upper limit of £8,000 the change in their weekly tariff income is equivalent to the gain in income support.
3. Those with capital of £8,100 might become entitled to income support under the upper capital limit, depending upon their underlying entitlement to income support, reduced by the tariff income indicated in the table.
Name
| Constituency
| Date answered
| Hansard reference
|
| Mr. Mark Robinson | Somerton and Frome | 19 June | Vol. 262 col. 16 |
| Mr. John Battle | Leeds West | 27 June | Vol. 262 col. 584 |
| Mr. John Battle | Leeds West | 27 June | Vol. 262 col. 584 |
| Ms Jean Corston | Bristol East | 18 July | Vol. 263 col. 1089–90 |
| Ms Jean Corston | Bristol East | 18 July | Vol. 263 col. 1089–90 |
| Ms Jean Corston | Bristol East | 18 July | Vol. 263 col. 1091–94 |
| Mr. John McAllion | Dundee East | 19 July | Vol. 263 col. 1484–85 |