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Dept for Work and Pensions

Answer

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) why the level of benefit payable to in- patients who have been in hospital for more than a year is set at 20 per cent. of the basic state pension; [183162] (2) what reviews of the level of benefit payable to long- term in-patients have been conducted since it was first set at 20 per cent. of the basic state pension; and what the findings were; [183190] (3) what assessment was made of the (a) therapeutic and (b) financial needs of in-patients who have been in hospital over a year when the decision to maintain the level of benefit entitlement at 20 per cent. of the basic state pension was taken; and if he will make a statement; [183191] (4) what research he has commissioned on the (a) economic and (b) therapeutic effects of setting the level of benefit payable to long-term in-patients at 20 per cent. of the basic state pension. [183245] Malcolm Wicks: The National Insurance Advisory Committee (NIAC) originally considered the amount of benefit that should be paid to long-term in-patients in 1949. Although they said that there would be grounds for withholding the whole of benefit because no allowance should be paid for outside commitments, they thought it desirable that benefit should not be reduced below "a reasonable amount for personal needs in hospital". They recommended an amount which was roughly 20 per cent. of the standard rate of state pension. (A higher rate was set for long-term in-patients with respiratory tuberculosis.) When asked to review the amount of benefit paid to in-patients in 1952, the NIAC recommended that the amount paid to long-term in-patients should be increased to reflect increases in the cost of living. This increased amount continued to represent 20 per cent. of the prevailing rate of state pension. Changes were introduced in 1988 to abolish the resettlement benefit payable to long-term in-patients without a dependant on discharge, and to reduce the amount payable to dependants of long-term in-patients. The Social Security Advisory Committee (SSAC), when considering those changes, said that they had received several representations that the level of benefit paid to long-term in-patients (that is, the 20 per cent. of basic state pension) was too low to meet their needs. SSAC said that they had seen no evidence to convince them that the level of benefit should be raised. The benefit paid to long-term in-patients is to meet their personal day-to-day requirements, such as newspapers, magazines, and toiletry items. It is not intended to cover the purchase of more expensive items such as clothing. That is the responsibility of the local NHS trust. We have seen no convincing evidence that the current level of benefit is causing long-term in-patients either therapeutic or economic harm.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

423 c1207-8W; 183162;183190;183191;183245

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Deductions Hospitals Patients Pensions Social security benefits State retirement pensions Long stay patients

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk